


Chaotic

by BonnieScotty



Category: Chronicles of Narnia (Movies), Chronicles of Narnia - All Media Types, Chronicles of Narnia - C. S. Lewis
Genre: Alternate Universe - Post-Apocalypse, Family, Hurt, Multi, Post-War, Sexual Tension, Tension, Violence, War
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-08
Updated: 2018-10-28
Packaged: 2019-01-10 14:47:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 19
Words: 65,280
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12301386
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BonnieScotty/pseuds/BonnieScotty
Summary: They saved Narnia, now it is Narnia's turn the return the favour.





	1. Chapter 1

Extended Summary:

In five years, history had been made. Caspian X of both Narnia and Telmar restored peace to his homeland. Now, both sides live equally in harmony. However, it was something he couldn't do without the help of four people in particular. If it weren't for the Kings and Queens of old agreeing to aid him in his quest, he knows there was no way he would have won the war.

But they were never coming back, both themselves and Aslan had said so.

In London though, things have gone drastically wrong. After the war ended for good, everyone just assumed that things would go back to normal. Or as normal as it could get. This wasn't the case. Just over a year in was when the first attack happened within the city, followed by another. Now, the city has been separated into factions of each area of London and Greater London. Food is running out, water is difficult to come by, medical supplies are scarce. 

After a freak storm in Narnia during the night, Caspian and some other accomplices find themselves in the middle of the English countryside with nowhere to go. Then they find Digory who tells them about the trouble the four siblings are facing on an everyday basis. Will they be able to help?

A/N: This is an alternate universe. This is based in the time frame of The Last Battle had The Voyage of the Dawn Treader not happened. This will neither be more movie-verse, or book-verse, it will be a mixture of both. Caspian is 23, Peter is 22, Susan is 21, Edmund is 19, and Lucy is 17.


	2. Prologue

~Narnia~

Very few people alive are lucky enough to have been born into a family of high rank. Caspian of all people knew this. After all, he himself was born into a royal family and he was raised as the royalty he was. He was different to every other boy in more ways than simply because of this although now this isn’t exactly the case. It is incredible how much can change in a miniscule five years. It was only then that he had been running for his life after his power-hungry uncle Miraz had decided he wanted the throne for himself even if he wasn’t the next link. It was only five years ago that the Narnians had been living under the oppression of his people and even now this fact still weighed heavily on him. It had only been five years since he had met four people he had always looked up to even though he himself for a long time thought them simply to only be legend.

They might have started off rather rocky with one another (well, just Peter and himself) but tensions were rising within everyone. War can very easily turn the best of friends against each other and can push two enemies together. Fate is a funny thing, and it is also a torturous thing. He should have accepted it by now that they were never coming back- after all he had heard Aslan himself say the words along with the four siblings. Deep down though there was still a part of him that hoped they would just appear again so he could show them what he had achieved and hopefully to get some sort of guidance from them again. 

Before they had all left, they had each given him their own fair share of advice and he had taken all of them on the chin. From Peter, he learned how to keep a country running under strain. From Susan, he had learned to always keep other people’s interest at heart and to never do something simply for his sake. From Edmund, he had learned to always be fair when passing judgement. And from Lucy he had learned to always stay positive about things and to never let the negatives affect him. All separate pieces of information all drastically different from one another yet all equal importance. These single tips had solidified his status as a King. He wasn’t simply a King though; he was the King. For over a thousand years there had been two Kingdoms essentially combined into the one and neither liked each other. In fact, one didn’t even know the other existed and wasn’t simply a legend until five years ago. 

Caspian the Tenth was the first person to attempt to combine the two into one again- and he had succeeded in his quest.

Of course, he didn’t take all the credit. After all, if it wasn’t for the Pevensie’s then everything would have fallen apart before it had even started to build up. He wondered what they were up to now. Very little was known of their world. All Caspian knew was that the country they resided from was called England and they lived in a district in the city of London. Edmund had attempted to explain everything to him but it just didn’t make sense. Then again though the way he was brought up was decidedly different to theirs. The only other thing he did know of their world was of a great war taking place and that they did not meet the specific requirements to fight.

They would have made excellent warriors wherever they came from- he should know. He had seen just how precise Peter would slice his sword in ways that would confuse his opponent so he would always have the upper hand. He had seen how deadly Susan was when she had a bow in her hands. He had seen how specific Edmund was when he was swinging his short dual swords. The last always shocked him massively, because a part of his mind couldn’t get his head around the fierceness of the angelical being that was Lucy. He had only seen it once and it was only briefly.

//

Everywhere he looked, all he saw were swords being sharpened and armour being tightened. All he could hear was metal clanging against metal and the soft twangs of bows and arrows notching. All that he could smell was a strong earthy scent that came with hiding away within the how. It had become a bit of a routine now for him but somehow, he still always found something that caught his attention in complete awe. For example, a few days’ prior he had watched intently from a few metres away as a dwarf carefully shaped a piece of armour that was intended for a human into a piece of armour that fit a fawn perfectly well. He had watched as the dwarf in question had taken a white-hot piece of iron and drew a design into it that he had never seen anything like it before.

Today he was watching from the second floor up as the archers prepared for practise with Susan leading them. His eyes trailed a little bit longer on the eldest Queen than should have been allowed but if she didn’t know then there was no harm done. The way her skirts seemingly danced around her feet as she walked and the way her dark brunette hair flew in the air as the wind caught it. She was absolutely breath taking- the legends did nothing to capture just how imperfectly perfect Susan Pevensie was. He heard a slight chuckle behind him and he didn’t need to look to see just who it was who had decided to accompany him as he recognised it. The King of Old carefully sat down beside him and watched for a few seconds.

Caspian found it difficult to picture this fifteen-year-old boy as the great King. From the outside, he simply looked far too innocent to have witnessed what he was said to have witnessed. Well, that was his first thoughts anyway. The first time he ever saw who he was, was when he had a practise swordfight with his brother. The moves that had been used were easily too far advanced and were too strategically placed to simply be of that of a schoolboy. The second time he had seen it was when they were going over battle plans and coming up with different solutions to the problem before deciding on one. Edmund had been bent over the table and his eyebrows were furrowed in deep thought. The way he was standing held power and he was certain he appeared at least a foot taller. His obsidian eyes hardened in such a way that even Glenstorm cowered underneath his glare. And if something cowered the centaur general, then it was something to not be reckoned with.

“Penny for your thoughts, Caspian?”

The older boy turned to face his companion before blushing madly at being caught staring. Edmund was a lot more casual towards what he felt for Susan and even though he never outwardly spoke about it- the Just King knew about it. Nothing ever passed his very observant gaze. Years of practise and analysing had given Edmund the incredible ability of reading thoughts simply by looking at the person’s body language and through their eyes. Very few people possessed this unique gift and he used it to his advantage. There was no use for Caspian to deny it, nothing ever went by his friend no matter what was going on. 

“I was always brought up with the belief of women only being people of the home and not of work or battle. Yet your dear sister is most definitely an incredible archer. Easily one of the best I have ever seen.”

He tried his best to ignore the sarcastic smirk that was playing on the youngers lips. Speaking of her, he watched as she notched up one of her arrows and taking aim. She was only holding the bow in that position for mere seconds before letting the string go with a twang that echoed lightly up to where they both sat and he watched as the arrow imbedded itself in the centre of the bullseye. He had always been blown away with their abilities as far as weaponry was concerned. The two brothers possessing knowledge, power, planning, sheer talent, and then watching them combine these four together to become a very formidable pair. Many people tried their luck in beating one of the legendary Kings of Old but to date nobody had been successful in doing so. 

“Follow me, there’s something you may want to see.”

It wasn’t a question; it was an order. Despite Caspian fighting for the throne he was not King yet and Edmund was a King. It was a huge mistake known to everyone if a royal was challenged. So, Caspian carefully stood up and with one last wishful glance at the brunette beauty giving out archery tips he spun on his heel and followed Edmund down the corridor. He got confused as the younger led him down a corridor he recognised but had not been down before and he wondered how he knew this was here. It was then that he heard it- soft thumps as if something was being hit with incredible force.

He dared a look to the young King only to see a fond smile plastered on his features which confused the Prince. He didn’t ask questions though as he could see that all would be answered before they were even asked. Eventually they came to a slightly ajar door and Edmund knocked quietly to alert whoever was inside before hearing a slightly high pitched call to let them know they could enter. Caspian was surprised to see the youngest Queen standing there herself. His eyes scanned the room and his confusion only grew at seeing practise throwing targets. His eyes darted from right to left to in front of him and then at Lucy who only now he noticed was wearing a belt around her waist with dozens of knives stored in the leather. At first, he was very alarmed because she was only thirteen for crying out loud! He was about to say something in protest but Edmund gave him a look that screamed to watch. 

Lucy stepped into the centre of the room again before carefully eyeing the distance between herself and the target. There was at least six metres between and Caspian was a bit wary. It happened quickly and at first, he wasn’t sure if he had saw it or if he had simply imagined it happening. Lucy swiftly grabbed one of the knives, removed it from her belt before flicking her wrist in a complicated manoeuvre and he had watched as the knife flew before slamming into the bullseye. His eyes widened at just how quick it had happened, it had only lasted at the very most three seconds. How did she even have time to aim? His mouth only fell open more as Lucy repeated her actions until every target set out had a knife deeply imbedded into the wood and canvas. 

One thing was for certain, he was never getting on her wrong side if she could throw a knife like that.

//

How did they cope with it? Did they not get bored having to sit around in their world as war took place? Did they feel worthless over not being able to take part themselves? A part of him was glad that neither of them were in danger because they had already seen enough of that to be subjected to even more. He can try to deny it all he wants, but Caspian still wishes he had someone to go to for guidance who knew what they were talking about. He also wishes he still had his friends. It wasn’t until after the war had ended that Peter had come looking for him to apologise for his behaviour and after that they had become very firm friends. 

Now that he thinks about it, he can kind of understand why Peter was so odd when it came to a lot of things. It must have been incredibly frustrating to go from being a High King to being a schoolboy with nothing to his name. The same went for all four of them but it easily hit the oldest the hardest out of the family. He noticed that he always took the blame for things even if he had no say in what it even was to begin with. He probably took the blame for them all leaving the way that they did. It was Edmund who told him what happened that fateful day, them just simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time and by the time they had realised what was happening it was already far too late. 

Despite hearing all the terrible things that has happened in their world, Caspian cannot deny that his curiosity was at its peak. He wants to see where they grew up and what their world was like. Not many people shared the same idea but there were others both Narnian and Telmarine who were curious. The former because they want to see where their legendary Kings and Queens came from, the latter being that they want to see the world their ancestors came from. It isn’t possible though for them to experience this since the portals only work one way and even if they did work both ways it couldn’t happen as nobody knew where they were located. For all he knows, the remaining could all be in the middle of the Western Woods, hundreds of feet underground, or even underwater. 

It was probably a good thing that he had remained in his private study during his wander through his thoughts because he didn’t want people to see him like this. He is the King and he needs to think about his people and what can be done instead of what cannot be done. With this thought in mind, he closed the book that he hadn’t even been reading in the first place and decided to walk out onto the front balcony. The majestic palace of Cair Paravel had been finally rebuilt the year before and he has never felt like he has made a greater decision in his life. Every single day he would walk along the many balconies that overlooked the Eastern Ocean and every single time his breath was stolen from his lungs at the beautiful sight. 

~England~

There had been another attack through the night, it wasn’t anything new to anybody. Ever since the war had officially ended, they had all been driven underground whilst the city above was left to rot. There was a distinct smell of burning of both wood and rubber, and pieces of molten metals were littering the ground and gleaming against the darkness. Everyone thought that they would live in peace and harmony when it ended but instead they have descended into a huge rebellion. Nobody knows how it started, they could only guess. Most people assumed that people were jealous of some areas having less of a death toll and felt like it needed to be evened out.

What had started as one attack, became two, and then it became three. This pattern continued until everybody just pulled away from each other, every area of the city and Greater London splitting up and living in pain and misery. This wasn’t how it was supposed to be at all, right now people should be above ground and walking around the busy streets minding their own business. Every single time they looked around, their hearts ached at the terror their home had become. It wasn’t their home anyway, neither of them considered Finchley as their home but they had to accept reality. Well, look where reality had gotten them.

They had all expected to walk through the chasm and to go back to school like normal and eventually get older to perhaps go to university, travel, or to find a job that payed decently enough. They had gone back to school but this time they were all decidedly different. The first time they had left Narnia they had a bit of hope that they would go back and that was what got them through each day despite the tensions rising between the four of them. The second time however, this was not the case as they were told there was no way they would be getting back to the land in which they were royalty. 

Instead they just accepted it with annoyed grunts and plenty of tears, instead focusing on what they were meant to do. They only remained at school for one more year and then all the chaos started. That was three years ago and now they were all stuck underground and patiently waiting on the next attack. Well, that attack had come and Lucy Pevensie had taken it upon herself to walk through the bodies and identifying them as she went. A lot of people would find it strange that a girl of seventeen could remain so calm and collected as she named people she knew personally and from seeing around but nobody knew that she had once walked along battlefields and saw her friends get beheaded and more gruesome things that cannot be put into words.

Her dark auburn hair seemed to gleam in the torches that were sitting in prongs along the walls, her blue eyes twinkling as the light danced off them. Despite this though, there was only one emotion on her face and it was one of anger. How people could do this to each other and pretend like they had done nothing wrong irked the young woman but there wasn’t anything that she could do about it. Eventually she came to the end of the line, closed her eyes for a moment and let out a long sigh. 

Twenty-three dead.

They were dropping in numbers and now there were only around a thousand-people left in their faction. If this carries on, then there is no hope whatsoever for people surviving. It is quite simple, if they keep attacking each other then there isn’t going to be anybody left in the city at all. She wishes she had her cordial here at least, because then she could heal people who would not survive otherwise but she quite simply does not and has to stick with her knives and guns. Many people feared the seventeen-year-old who had seen way too much for her tender age because they had seen how lethal her aim was. All the siblings were deadly and people respected them. 

Her brothers were always involved in the planning of the attacks which were very rare. They only ever enter another faction when they are running low on supplies or to gain information. There are a few people in each faction who do not identify with one and instead relay information from both sides to each side. Everyone has spies, and to Lucy it wasn’t a surprise that Edmund was one of those spies. After all, he was known for his hot temper but genuine mercy for people he was up against. He knew the places to be and seemed to always know exact times to pretty much everything.

What shocked more people though was Susan. She was now twenty-one years old and her natural beauty had only increased as she got older. Many females looked at her in nothing but sheer jealousy and many men asked her for courtship, but she ignored them all. There was only one man that Susan ever had genuine feelings for but she cannot ever be with him. She became cut off and bitter, much like Peter had the first time they came back. She didn’t have a bow here, but there were other weapons and she excelled in them. She was the epitome of a femme fatal. Looks so innocent on the outside yet nothing but poison on the inside.

Peter was still Magnificent. Edmund was still Just. Lucy was still Valiant. Susan however was no longer Gentle.

It worried her brothers and sister incredibly but they knew that this was her own little way of grieving for what she had lost and would never find again. Lucy inhaled sharply as she came out of her thoughts and walked down the street to meet Edmund as they were both intended for an attack tonight on Islington. It would take time for them to get there but they needed medical supplies as it was well known within the factions that Islington had the highest amount of these supplies. Ten other men were going in with them and she knew that nobody was going to die tonight. There has already been too much death. She trusted her brother wholeheartedly in his plans as she had seen from experience that not even one had failed him yet. So, they wouldn’t fail now.

Along the way, she saw her sister angrily pulling the trigger of a gun at some dummies, a sad expression covering her face. She’d seen her angry before and she had been terrified. Right now, though, Susan wasn’t angry. It was almost as if her heart had been ripped out of her chest and placed back in with something else running through her veins. Turning her blood cold and her thoughts almost held no good intentions. She didn’t say anything however and instead continued down and taking in her surroundings as she did. It was the London underground everyone inhabited now except there was barriers around each separate faction. People had carved into the walls and made even more tunnels until it was like a city except daylight no longer existed. 

Once Lucy came to the planning room, she knocked once before pushing the door open. Peter was also there and his face was wrought with worry. Every time one of them must go on a raid he feels like he has been a failure and every time he also prays that they come back safe and relatively unscathed. Whether that was just brotherly instinct or Peter being the huge worrier that he is none of them knew. Edmund was quickly pulling on a bulletproof vest and he shot his younger sister a toothy grin which she returned along with a tiny laugh. Lucy absolutely hates the entire death thing as far as all of this goes, but she has always been a huge adrenaline junkie and every single raid was an adrenaline rush.

Peter was still looking at them but he knew that he couldn’t control them like puppets, if they wanted to do this to help their faction then he was not going to stop them. It’s not the first time he’s watched his youngest siblings pack up to go and do something extremely dangerous. At least it wasn’t a war they were entering. Twenty minutes later they were both covered head-to-toe in bulletproof gear along with numerous knives, guns, and darts stored in the material. The oldest gave them a tight brotherly hug before going back to his planning and seeing what would need to be retrieved next to ensure people’s safety.

It was strange, to be above ground once again. They’ve gotten so used to being stuck underneath in not so nice conditions that were barely liveable that it was weird to see sunlight again. What used to be a long street full to the brim of three story town houses were now reduced to rubble. The street had numerous dents in it from attacks from both the war and from other factions. Edmund and Lucy both made sure to remain hidden as far into the shadows as they could possibly manage as they could not risk being spotted. Not many people ventured out during the day and instead opted to raid at night so it was unlikely. The option was still there though and they of all people know that every possibility must be considered carefully and thought out. 

Islington was not far from Finchley, only a twenty-minute run and soon they were both peering down the drain. Instead of getting into the thicket of all the violence, they both always preferred to sneak through the drains to find out exactly where the supplies that they needed were. This made sure the death count was always considerably lower than it was in every other faction during a raid. Lucy squeezed herself into the drain with Edmund following checking there was nobody looking their way. All he was met with was the whistling wind and a couple of hissing stray cats passing by. His feet made a small splash with the water on the concrete path inside the tunnel. 

They both removed their pistols from their pockets and shifted their clothing so their other weapons were very easily accessible before venturing down further into the darkness. They could hear people talking although it was muffled by the thick concrete and it was a good thing that there were vents in here so they could breathe properly. No sound was made as they walked, both adopting techniques of sneaking up from years of practise so that the prey never noticed them. It came in very useful now. They eventually came to the end of the tunnel and Edmund raised a finger to his lips and Lucy held her breath. That was when they heard it, from the vent underneath them. People were talking about moving the supplies from here to the opposite end of the faction.

They knew that they had struck gold and Edmund quickly grabbed a small pellet from his pocket and dropped it in between the metal bars. The two siblings waited cautiously in case any of the people looked up that they could see just vaguely through the grate. They were successful however as they all fell to the ground unconscious. The pellets never caused any damage, simply only knocked a person out for several hours which would give them enough time to gather supplies. They pulled on their gas masks so that they wouldn’t inhale the fumes themselves before opening the vent and slipping into the room below them. 

Four eyes were scanning the room expertly before Lucy’s landed on a large filing cabinet and as she checked one of the doors she had found what they were looking for. Making sure to make as little noise as possible, they filled their pockets and bags with the medical supplies which ranged from medication to bandages. It only took them roughly ten minutes before they had removed almost everything and Edmund moved a chair to the centre of the room so they could climb back up into the tunnel above. He heaved himself up easily enough and he reached an arm down to help up Lucy as well.

Once they were back there they closed the vent again and began walking out towards the streets above that were occupied only four years before. It was a lot more difficult to make little noise with the clinking of glass and plastic bottles but they had to make do. They didn’t have enough time to cover them in something to muffle the sound. They were soon completely covered in daylight once again and both squinting at the bright rays considering they were not used to it anymore at all. They stuck to the shadows again so make it a lot less obvious that they were there but they both knew they had gotten out unscathed with no deaths this time. Well, not of their own doing anyway. Some people in the Islington faction may turn against the people they knocked out with the pellets for letting them raid and succeed. Even if it couldn’t be helped.

People’s biggest enemy is people itself. That is a simple fact. Edmund and Lucy knew this better than everyone else. After all, they had ruled a country for fifteen years and fought in numerous wars along the way. Neither are stupid and they know what people want simply by looking into their eyes. It was a rare gift, but the Pevensie’s had learned it to perfection. Hence why when prisoners were taken they were the ones who were asked to determine whether what they were saying was fact or fiction. Fifteen minutes later they were back in their own faction and were being greeted by numerous people for such a successful raid. Not many ever lasted just over an hour and normally took many hours to find what was needed.

They were back in the planning room again and Peter immediately looked up with a huge relieved look on his face. They took care to remove their heavy clothing, weapons, and the supplies they had taken before engulfing their brother into a tight hug. If only Susan was here and not constantly angry at stupid things now. They all missed their Gentle sister but they knew that the Queen in her was gone and now she was just an empty shell. She took leaving Narnia permanently the hardest out of them. Even though she never spoke about it openly, they knew that she had left a chunk of her heart there with a certain Prince who would now be King.

They didn’t even know if Caspian was still alive. For all they know thousands of years could have passed again. There was simply no way to know though. This was their life now and they knew that if they focused the way that they did then they would eventually gain the respect and recognition that they did in Narnia. They might not be royalty here but neither of them cared. If they had each other then they didn’t need anything else.


	3. One.

~Caspian~

There were times when everything just hit me in the face, temporarily knocking me completely off balance and leaving me wondering what exactly it was that was going on in the world. Over the past five years, these times became a lot less frequent but when they did come they appeared to be worse than what they used to be. I never did figure out why they seemed to stop so suddenly ever since a crown was put on my head and I was declared King- but I had a theory. I had only spoken of the theory once and that was to Professor Cornelius. I didn’t want to worry anyone and I also didn’t want to make myself look like a complete fool in front of the royal council. 

My theory was that they were worse simply because the world then was extremely unpredictable. It was only those who were within the castle walls that saw just how bad things were and nobody else. After all, we were all present when these conspiracy theories were being played out and we had heard the disgusting schemes that would allow them to be kept quiet. Unfortunately, I never realised just how bad it was until I had to quite literally flee for my life on my horse and I am glad that I was warned. If I was only five minutes late then there was a very high chance that I would have been murdered in my bed on my uncle’s demand. The Narnians would still be living in hiding or would have been hunted out of the woods. Worst of all though, Miraz would have been on the throne barking his obscene orders to everyone.

I’m glad that it worked out in the end. The first year or so things weren’t that great as the Narnians were getting used to humans and the humans were getting used to what they had been told all their lives to be nothing but fairy tales. There were occasional fights and there was a couple of times when I had to step into the centre myself to break it all up. Luckily, they never got physical enough to damage someone which I was glad about. It wasn’t easy for me, having to figure everything out as I went without much help considering there wasn’t anyone who could help. I knew next to nothing about Narnian culture and they knew even less about Telmarine culture. Eventually I ended up recruiting six of each side to be on my council because that made it a lot easier to come to an agreement.

There had been tantrums and numerous arguments on both sides but after things had been brought down then the squabbles almost immediately stopped. It was as soon as this fighting had stopped that I finally decided that I was going to rebuild the grand palace that was Cair Paravel. This had been received with both confused and delighted looks. The latter being from the Narnians and the former being that of the humans. After a lot of explaining, people agreed despite it ending in a lot of faces full of terror. After all, the humans in the kingdom had been told stories of ghosts and hauntings in the woods, some refused to set a toe passed the trees. Instead we came to a compromise when Trumpkin suggested that a few of us take the griffins there to see the damage that was inflicted on it hundreds of years ago. 

We agreed on this because that meant that nobody would be walking through the woods. So, three days later I had left alone with three other people whom I trusted completely with my life. There wasn’t much to go on in finding the ruins, all we did know was that it was on the coast of the Eastern Ocean. It had taken us just under two hours to reach there and before we looked for the ancient castle, we perched on the top of a cliff and ate some food and drank some sweet wine. Talk was exchanged and I caught Mikian- a talented artist- scribbling away in his sketchbook. From a single glance, I could tell that he was attempting to capture the beauty that was the coast and I smiled to myself at seeing the astounded faces on my other companions. They never thought that they would see such an incredible thing yet here they were.

We stayed there for about an hour before we mounted the griffins once again and took off down the coastline. Not once did I take my gaze off the ground as I took in the beauty that was this country. My entire childhood I had spent imagining what the other side of the country looked like that us humans never dared go near so it was like I was stepping into my own little story and writing it along the way. A sudden yell from beside me broke me out of my childhood reminiscence and I looked to where he was pointing- I felt my heart soar as I took it in. There wasn’t much left of it at all, a few walls to be honest, but it was obvious that we had indeed found our destination. 

The griffins dived down again and we dismounted not long after. We had stopped a good hundred metres from a very old and very rusted gate. I had always thought that when (and if) I ever found the ancient castle I would be extremely excited- yet I wasn’t. It suddenly struck me just how bad a shape it was in and it was going to take at least two years to rebuild back to its former glory. There were stones lying around that had once made up a wall, multi-coloured pavements that had once not been overgrown with plantation. There had once been people walking around here that I had known personally. 

To put it simply, the whole place just gave off a very lonely aura about it.

The people with me didn’t seem to be thinking the same thoughts that I was but they had never met the Pevensie’s in person- never spoken to them. Of course, they had all seen them when they walked through that chasm back to their own world where they would stay forever. It was only I who had gotten to know them on a personal level. I missed them all dearly despite it now being a year since they had stepped through the hole in the tree- even Peter, despite us not getting off on the right foot with each other. Just a few days before he left forever he had asked to see me in private and we just talked over everything. I wouldn’t have considered him a close friend, but I could call him a companion afterwards. 

I realised that a few odd looks were being directed my way. I came out of my odd reverie and started walking around. Even in ruin and with this horrible feel around it, the place was still nothing short of majestic. The air even seemed cleaner to breath and the grass appeared an even brighter green than I had ever thought was possible. The stones that had been used to create the walls were of a pristine white marble that I knew must have looked incredible in its former glory. We all split off into different areas so that we could scope everything out quicker. We were going to camp here for the night anyway to make sure that we had explored every area. 

I let out a short gasp as I felt something solid in the ground. I frowned a bit as I bent down to see what it was. I felt around until my hand clasped something that was not very large but was extraordinarily heavy. I stood back up and examined what it was, my mouth dropping in pure awe. Like I had thought, it was quite small but it was obvious why it weighed so much now- it was made of solid gold. I analysed it carefully and I vaguely remembered Edmund carrying something like this around with him. It was a chess piece, a beautiful chess piece there was no doubting that. This small memory brought an even more horrible feeling on. This meant that they had arrived here when they came back a second time- they had seen the state their home had become first hand.

I also vaguely remembered hearing Lucy speaking about some kind of chamber where they kept their most prized possessions and I knew immediately what it was that I was going to look for. By using the process of elimination, I knew that it must be underground. There was only one floor left to the beautiful building and the walls that were standing had nothing around them. With this thought in mind I walked around, keeping my eyes on the ground for anything that seemed even just slightly out of place. A good ten minutes had passed however and I found nothing. I admitted defeat and looked up at the room that I was now stood in.

There were broken pillars that must have been at least thirty feet tall back in the day, each one carved with intricate designs that had been worn down from weather and from ancient battles that nobody alive had seen in this world. An old stone path that was cracked, these cracks sprouting plants and small flowers. I glanced around to take it in, trying to figure out what this room might have been. Due to the size, it must have been a very important room. My wandering stopped however as I spotted a slightly raised area near the back- maybe two feet. This caused me to frown and I walked over to inspect in more detail. 

I looked around the span of the room once more before realisation dawned on me. I spun around to take in the slightly raised area and I soon got my answer. There were four slightly odd shaped parts of carved marble on it, all an equal length apart and the same size. One of them was still in a decent condition but the other three were of a similar state to the rest of the palace. I stepped up to get a closer look even though there wasn’t much of a point in it. This had obviously been the throne room. An even lonelier feeling overcame me now, like I was the only person left existing in the world with nobody to turn to. 

I shut my eyes for a minute to collect my thoughts without having to take in the destruction that was set upon this magnificent building over the many years. I turned away from what was left of the thrones and looked around once again in search for something that seemed out of place. Once again, I was about to admit defeat when my eyes spotted what appeared to be a large rock. Over the years, the white marble had faded to more of a grey so it blended in more now, but with the incredible carvings that covered what was left of the walls made just a plain large rock look extremely out of place. 

Frowning, I walked over and from a glance at the ground I saw what appeared to be drag as if it had been moved on quite a few occasions and it had dented the land as a result. Of course, it all made sense now. It couldn’t have been some kind of entrance on the ground because if that happened then it would have just corroded over time. Which would mean it would be on show for anyone and everyone to walk right inside. Therefore, the entrance to this chamber must be on a wall somewhere. All the others were out of the question and since this rock seemed such an odd object, this must be hiding the entrance.

I moved closer to inspect it in more detail, analysing why it was situated here. Very clever. Nobody ever thinks to look for something in plain sight because they almost automatically assume that treasures will be hidden somewhere of a high security. I placed my hands on the grey stone and pushed a little but it barely budged, maybe a couple of inches at the very most. I heard someone chuckling from behind me and I turned around to face Toma. We’d known each other since we were young and I considered him almost like the brother I never had. I gestured to the large rock to let him know I needed help in moving it away to see what lay behind it. I just hope that my suspicions are indeed correct. 

I ignored the puzzled look that he directed my way but he obliged anyway. Even though it had been a year since a crown had officially been placed on my head, it was still a weird thing seeing people doing what I asked of them without batting an eyelid. Now with more weight pushing against it, the stone finally moved far enough to the side that we could see what was behind it. I frowned at seeing a very old door which had been torn apart due to the years of neglect. I looked back to Toma before moving forward to look at what lay inside. I couldn’t see much though into the dark tunnel other than a single staircase that descended below and some prongs on the wall to hold torches.

A strange feeling overcame me again, a feeling that I wasn’t very familiar with. I ignored it and just walked inside despite Toma exhaling sharply because I knew that he immediately disapproved of my actions. Despite this, he followed me. I knew that his curiosity was just as large as mine currently and he also wanted to know what lay here. I counted the steps as I went, I counted sixteen in total. We were now standing in some kind of underground room in which a large golden gate was placed on one side which was sectioning off another part of the room. I breathed in deeply before opening it and walking into what could only be the treasure chamber.

“Lion’s mane.”

That was the only two words that left Toma’s mouth the second we entered. Not a single word was leaving my mouth as I looked around, far too entranced in everything. The floor was littered with numerous precious stones ranging from diamonds to rubies. The walls once again carved into incredible designs with a very skilled hand. Numerous pieces of armour all spread across all a different style. Weapons covered in sheaths and hung from prongs on the walls of different nationalities from Archenlandish to Calormene. I knew that my mouth was hanging open in nothing but shock and despite not looking at my companion I knew that he had the exact same facial expression as me currently. 

I didn’t know where to even look. To my left were old helmets of varying sizes, to my right were ancient swords still in their original leather sheaths, in front of me was gemstones the size of my fist. The wealth that had been accumulated in here was nothing short of absolutely breath taking. I span around on my feet, trying my best to take in as much of this place as I possibly could, trying to commit it to my memory. I don’t even know why I was bothering to do so because it was a lost cause. There was simply too much in here to memorise completely. I caught Toma eyeing the multi-coloured stones out of my peripheral vision but I spotted something else. On one side of the room was another door and I wanted to know what lay behind it. 

I walked towards it and much like the door that had lay behind the rock, the wood was rotting away into nothing. I barely touched it and it had swung open to reveal a whole other room within the chamber. How big was this place? Confusion set on my face once I noticed that this room was relatively empty in comparison with the other. All that was in here was four large statues slightly larger than life size, four large chests, and four prongs on the wall which were empty. I walked over to this first and astonishment settled in. From all the years that this place had been uninhabited, dust had collected in thick sheets. However, within these prongs there were outlines of items which were very recognisable to me.

Peter’s shield and his trusted Rhindon, Edmund’s iconic short dual swords, Lucy’s dagger and cordial, and finally Susan’s bow and arrows. So, that was how they got their gifts then and I was secretly annoyed with myself for not putting the pieces together previously. I tore my gaze away and instead focused on the large statues. From a first glance, they just seemed like regular ones but after looking at them a second time I recognised them. I had not seen them in their full royal glory myself but it was impossible to not recognise the siblings. I looked around the room again as a feeling of being watched overcame me but this disappeared once I remembered that I was alone in this room. 

They all appeared to be around seven-feet tall from a quick analysis. Lucy’s was exactly how I had pictured her to be. Cheerful, kind, yet stern all at the same time. Her hair falling just a little passed her hips and a very relaxed posture that exuberated confidence. The next one was Susan’s and even in stone her beauty was nothing short of radiant. I reached my hand out and barely touched the stone but I quickly retracted it. I always tried my best not to think about the Gentle Queen because every time I did a horrible feeling of longing overcame me. So, I moved onto what could only be Peter. He was exactly how I had pictured him to be. Long hair and a very well built physique, facial expression showing utmost kindness. Then there was Edmund and I almost laughed as I took in the facial expression that was carved into the stone. That smirk was very familiar to me, paired with a glint in his eyes that showcased mischievous thoughts.

I looked at them all once more before looking at the large chests that lay at their feet. Despite being made of wood, they still seemed relatively new apart from the layers of accumulated dust. I knew that these contained very personal belongings and I didn’t know if I even wanted to go through these. Deep down though, I knew that I had to. The more we find out about the people who had lived in this palace for fifteen years, the better a chance we have of restoring it to its original glory. I searched through the two King’s first but there wasn’t much interesting in theirs. Edmund’s holding numerous books, clothes, and chess sets. I took the books out because I knew that they would make excellent additions to the royal library or even a public library. Peter’s was much the same as Edmund’s except instead of chess sets he had numerous plans that had obviously been successful if the small tick on them were anything to go on. In Susan’s there was once again, numerous books. Instead this was coupled with pieces of jewellery and what appeared to be letters of some kind. 

I was aware of the mess that was beginning to build up around my feet as I removed the items from the chests and I decided to sort order to it before looking into Lucy’s. After roughly twenty minutes there was a few organised piles around me. One was clothes, one was hobbies, one was official documentation of some kind, and lastly there was accessories along with smaller weapons. I bent back a little and let out a satisfied grunt at the crack in my spine before returning to the task at hand. There wasn’t anything different in Lucy’s compared with the others. Clothes, jewellery, numerous little daggers. The piles around me got a little higher and before I knew it there was only one item left within the chest.

I frowned a little bit and cocked my head to the side at what was left within the chest. Once all the clothes, weapons, and decorative items had been removed- all that was left was what looked like a book. It didn’t have anything written on it but then again, it could have just rotted away in the past thirteen-hundred years. Somehow, I knew this wasn’t what had happened and I assumed it was simply just a plain book that had probably nothing written in it. Despite this, I leaned over and picked it up, turning it over in my hands to try and figure out what it was. There was only one little thing written on it which was down the spine in delicate gold writing. 

Property of Lucilia Pevensie.

Lucilia? Was that Lucy’s full name? I bit my lip a little and walked to the opposite side of the chamber where I was mostly obscured from view. I turned it over once, twice, and a third time. There was a part of my mind that was telling me that it was a huge invasion of privacy but nobody would ever know. The only people who had known about this were never going to set foot in this world ever again. My curiosity was bubbling up inside of me and it had soon boiled over. I opened it carefully out of fear of it disintegrating on the spot. However, it opened like it had only been purchased a few days before, that strong scent of paper filling my nostrils and making me think of the library inside the castle.

I was correct in assuming that there wasn’t anything written in it. Instead, there was something even more incredible than scribbled words. Drawings, an awful lot of them. Some done in charcoal, others in paint, and others in pencil. The detail in them was incredible and each one was dated and signed on the bottom right corner. I could see each little stroke of paint, each little scribble of pencil. I could imagine watching as Lucy scribbled away in this in her free time, immortalising numerous memories onto blank pieces of paper. That is what they were though, I had a gut feeling that these were not just imagined.

I flipped through a few of the pages, until one caught my eye that made me stall on the spot. It appeared to be a drawing of a building, or a few buildings conjoined together. Each being three stories high and all completely identical to one another. This was already a strange thing for me to see because every house in this world were different from one another even if it was only a small difference. So, this told me one thing but then I remembered that things could very well have been decidedly different back in those days. 

There was only one piece of it that had colour in it, and that was of the four children sitting on the steps of one of the buildings. Was this done on purpose? It made sense because I had heard them all personally saying that their world was dark, dreary, and in the middle of a huge war. Did Lucy leave them coloured in expertly to show that they were always going to remain strong no matter what they were put through? Perhaps I was simply overanalysing the situation. Peter’s golden hair seemed to gleam, Edmund’s characteristic stony expression burning holes into me, Lucy’s smile seemingly brightening up the entire drawing, and sweet Susan. Her ocean blue eyes twinkling like tiny little sapphires.

I trailed my thumb along it carefully in case I smudged it despite it being very unlikely. I scanned through the rest of the drawings in here before making my way back into the main room- already knowing that Mikian was going to love this. I caught Toma still looking around at all the treasures in disbelief and I shook my head in amusement before making my way up to the surface once again. It didn’t take me long to find the artist and much like I had assumed, his eyes had lit up and he began flipping through the pages and analysing each drawing in terrifying precision. I didn’t know before now that the tiny Queen had a talented hand in art and it brought a smile to my face that I was still learning tiny little things like this about them all. 

From finding everything that day, the decision was final. We kept roughly half of the gemstones and used the rest to pay for the construction costs on the palace. Like I had assumed, it had taken a little over two years to complete but the finished product was nothing short of incredible. Even now, two years after that I was still left speechless at times at the beauty of the building. My favourite spot was the balcony that led off my chambers as it overlooked the Eastern Ocean. It was something I had always wanted to see as a boy and now I lived right beside it. Pretty much all my childhood dreams had come true and I knew that I was extremely lucky to even be alive. The times when being King gets too much, I always retreat to this spot and let the calming sound of waves hitting the cliffs and covering the sand envelop me completely. It truly worked wonders.

I wasn’t sure how long I had sat there for, but I soon caught sight of someone trotting up beside me with a fond smile on his face. Out of everyone on the council, there were three people that I trusted wholeheartedly. The first being Toma, the second being Trumpkin, and the final being Glenstorm. The centaur was a firm friend and a very trusted advisor with his many experiences being used in practise to better people’s lives. We chatted until the sun began to set. Just as it was about to dip below the horizon, he turned to me and spoke one sentence.

“There is a storm heading this way, your Highness.”


	4. Two

As much as I wanted to deny it, I just couldn’t. A lot of people would consider it a massive weakness for someone of such a high rank to have any kind of fear whether that be rational or irrational. I’m not entirely what my fear of bad storms categorised into, I just knew that I wasn’t the only person who had this. I’m not even sure when it was that I started to feel uneasy and unlike myself when the weather got bad, but I think it might have stemmed from three previous encounters that I have had. The first one was when I was still extremely young. I can’t even remember what had happened exactly, it’s all been based on suspicion and hearing it from other people.

My professor had told me on numerous occasions that it had stormed when my mother died, and this had also been the case when Miraz murdered my father. I had lost both of my parents during storms so this was enough evidence to back up my theory in my opinion but I kept it all to myself. I don’t want people to look at me and see that I have weaknesses that could very easily be used against me. People can try to deny it as much as they can, but everyone has a specific weakness and I truthfully don’t see what is wrong with admitting to it. The third and final time that I had been in a bad storm was when I was fleeing for my life after my cousin was born. 

So yes, I had a very good reason to be afraid of storms. Nothing good has ever happened to me during one before and my mind was going into meltdown at the connections that had been made. It was incredibly unlikely for history to essentially repeat itself even once, yet for me it had happened on three separate occasions. Only one time had it not been carried out in the way that it should have been previously and this was solely down to me being tipped off about the attempted assassination. There have been times since in the past four years in which people have tried to kill me but they have all been unsuccessful. 

That is what happens when a crown is on somebody’s head though even if the person in question only wears it when they absolutely must. I hated wearing my crown because the weight of it was extremely uncomfortable and if I’m being honest, it looked frankly ridiculous. True colours are always exposed in one way or another, it’s just that in some cases it can take years for this to happen. I was always looking over my shoulder in apprehension in case there was somebody following me when I was alone just in case. Eventually, it is something that I’m going to have to get over at some point but for the time being that is not going to happen. There were still people who didn’t agree with what was right despite the number being very minimal.

I suppose that there was a few fears that I had other than simply storms. At least I had been tipped off about it though so I could perhaps at least try to ward off any nerves that will build up because centaurs are never wrong when it comes to reading the positions of the stars. The only thing that annoyed me was that there was never a time or an exact day for it to happen, all I did know was that it was going to happen. What kind of storm was it he meant? Rain? Thunder? Lightning? Maybe a bit of everything? There was simply no way to tell anything and this aggravated me. If there was one thing that I despised it was knowing something was going to happen yet not knowing exactly what it was that was going to happen.

I shook my head a little bit to rid these thoughts from my mind and proceeded to flip through the pages of the sketchbook once more. There was almost something entrancing about this, but I think that a lot of items that came from one of the most celebrated reigns in this worlds history had the same affect. Maybe it was the fact that it had belonged to Lucy- or Lucilia. I could picture the feisty girl glaring at her siblings for calling her by her full name. I might have not known about it until I had found this inside of her chest in the treasure chamber, but I just knew that was the case. I had learned more about them without even realising it, analysing their interactions and body language closely. 

Mikian had felt bad about having this in his possession once he figured out it had belonged to the Valiant Queen of Old and he had practically forced me to take it back. I had protested but I had eventually caved in and had taken it back. As much as I tried to hide it, I think he knew that I was glad to have this. It had belonged to a close friend even if I didn’t get the chance to know her for long, I had still considered her almost as a little sister that I never got to have. Most nights I would sit and analyse each picture in here, almost breathing in the loving strokes of a paintbrush or whatever medium she had used. I noticed something different in them each time, a little detail that was never visible at first glance but was always in plain sight. It was very difficult for an artist to manage such a thing and it showed me just how talented the little Queen was other than her wit or her extremely impressive knife throwing abilities.

She went against all kinds of stereotypes that was for sure. A lot of people look down on females simply because they are female and for no other reason at all. Many men consider them to be weak and not of any use yet Lucy was a living contradiction to this fact. Yes, she might not have fought on battlefields anywhere near as often as her brothers did but that didn’t mean she wasn’t helping. I had seen her not long after the battle where she was walking so calmly among the bodies of both the wounded and the dead. I know men who couldn’t even do that without feeling sick yet she did it like it was second nature to her. She’d clearly had a lot of practise in this field and that was something a lot of people didn’t realise about her.

It was silly little things like this that I picked up on with them. Tiny pieces that fit together into a brilliant picture that very few people ever saw. I had watched closely at each of their little interactions, their numerous inside jokes that nobody else understood, how they all respected each other, and most of all, how much they loved and trusted one another. Most siblings do have an extremely strong bond with each other but there was something that the Pevensie siblings had that no others did. Perhaps it was that they lived between two worlds, perhaps it was something more. I would never get to know what the real reason was that caused this seemingly magnetic force between them as I would never see them here again. At least not in this lifetime anyway.

I had seen things that nobody else had picked up on. Peter was an excellent example of this. So many people looked at him as the leader that he was and like he knew everything. I’d only seen it once, and it had startled me immensely. 

\---

Loneliness was a feeling that I had known for a very long time. For most of my life I had been pushed aside and people had been ruling in my stead considering I was too young to take the throne at the time. People constantly telling me that they were sorry for me because I was orphaned as a toddler. Feeling so cut off from everyone around me like I was some kind of attraction that everyone wanted to stare at. The feeling wasn’t new to me, which was why I had taken to walking around the how to occupy my mind. Even if it was only for a few minutes, it was still a lot better than nothing and I would take that opportunity. 

Most people were outside practising in their numerous fighting methods, learning off each other. Centaurs fought differently from dwarves and dwarves fought differently from minotaur’s. Once each fighting style had been incorporated into the one, it was a huge force to be reckoned with. Obviously, I wasn’t the only person in here at this moment in time, but I was one of very few. People just left me to my own wanderings as they knew that everyone needed space from time to time. Needed to get away from every responsibility before it piled up too much that it crumbled to the ground once more. I had to remain strong for everyone here, they were all relying on me and I had promised to help them. And promises are something that I never break nor back down from, it is a very cowardly thing and I am not a coward.

I was quite far into the mound, underground that was for sure but I wasn’t sure how deep in I was. There was only a couple of torches lit in the tunnel I was currently in, just enough to see the end that forked off into what looked like two different directions from a distance. Each wall was decorated in intricate paintings from the many years that this place had stood and each one I quickly analysed in my mind. It’s crazy to think that this entire area was younger than the four siblings. There were times when it struck me that they had essentially travelled through time and I know that people look at them differently for this. However, it was Lucy who had been the one to tell me of the time change between the worlds. 

It must have been horrible to have been in their late twenties/early thirties and being thrust back into teenage bodies once again. I know that if it had happened to me I would have gone crazy. The stress was obviously a lot on them but it was only now that I was realising this. Being forced to live as someone you had been a lifetime before and then suddenly being expected to be the person you were. It was decidedly different for them considering they had gone from royalty to school kids to royalty once more. That was a stark change and was not at all enjoyed by either of them.

I shook my head a little bit to rid these thoughts from my mind. There was no point in overanalysing into certain situations that, quite frankly, am never going to understand on a personal level. I wasn’t sure which turn it was that I had taken at the end of the tunnel and I realised with a start now that I was indeed lost. I closed my eyes and made an annoyed sound at not having paid attention to my surroundings. At least these tunnels connect in some way so if I continue I should logically come across an area that I recognise. I walked for a few more minutes, only getting more confused as each second passed. Just as I was about to turn around and try searching for the tunnel I was in originally, I heard voices that I recognised from one of the rooms. It wasn’t difficult to tell who it was if the deep and very foreign accents were anything to go by. It probably wasn’t a good idea, but curiosity bubbled up inside of me and I found myself silently listening in on the conversation.

“I can’t do this, Ed.”

I frowned in deep thought at this. The High King very rarely showed any kind of emotion other than an amused grin towards his siblings. Other than that, though, his face was always set in stone which just gave off a huge aura of power and confidence. It was clear now that it was only an act, and it showed me that he has flaws just like everyone else.

“You’ve done it before, Pete. In case you are forgetting our first battle we’d only been introduced to swords a couple of weeks prior.”

A sigh escaped whom I’m assuming Peter’s lips as Edmund spoke these words. I knew this previously from them in passing but it still didn’t seem to sit in my mind. How could kids who had never seen a weapon before being able to use the said weapon and win a battle? They had Aslan on their side, and they had faith in each other. 

“That was luck- “

“Don’t pull the luck card on me Peter Alexander Pevensie. Yes, the first battle might have been luck and the timing working out for us. But that wasn’t the same for every battle we fought. What about when myself and Susan were almost assassinated? Who was it that acted quick enough? It was you, Pete. Who was it that willingly agreed to try and end all the tension between this country and Calormen? That was you. Who was it that went to Ettinsmoor with an army of eight thousand to discuss plans with giants? Again, it was you. So, don’t even attempt to say that someone helped you because it was solely you and you alone. Quit discrediting yourself over everything that you’ve done.”

By now, I was biting my thumbnail to distract myself from just barging in there and adding my own opinions. The young King was right. They might have had luck in their favour on a couple of occasions but not all of it. It deeply unnerved me that he had spoken of an attempted assassination despite it being quite common as far as royals are concerned. There had probably been dozens of them and it was something that I had experienced myself personally. It was still weird though to hear the legendary King of Old openly speaking about such things. 

“I just don’t know how we can help him, Ed. Don’t get me wrong, I want him to take his rightful place as King of Narnia. How can I do that though when I have no idea how things are now? This isn’t 1015 Edmund in case you are forgetting. We’re just seen as kids and not as the men we really are inside.”

I heard shuffling which told me that Edmund was likely walking over to comfort his brother during all of this. I could see exactly where he was coming from with his complex thought process but thinking and hearing are two completely different things from each other. He was also right; things were drastically different. This Narnia was not the Narnia that they had left nor was it the Narnia that they knew. They were aware of this fact and it proved to me that they knew that they would probably not be back after this war is over.

“Peter, I’m going to tell you something that Orieus told me all of those years ago. Acknowledging fear is what makes a person courageous, not how many battles have been fought. You should know that by now dear brother. Especially since our trusted general took every available opportunity to tell us this”

\---

It was a quote that I had made sure to memorise backwards. At the time, it didn’t make much sense to me because for most of my life it had been ingrained into my mind that fears were for cowards. For some reason, though, hearing it from the ancient King who was most known for his judgement and wise words had contradicted all of this. Fears weren’t cowardly, there was only one thing in the world that existed which was cowardly. It was quite simply really. That was not standing up for what you believe in and instead wallowing in a corner somewhere hoping for a miracle to occur. That is what cowardice was and it had reassured me massively over my own fear of bad storms.

I knew that I had to distract myself somehow so I walked down to the opposite end of my chambers into my personal library intending to find a book to read. It was beginning to get late as I could see a few stars beginning to speckle in the brilliant blue sky which was slowly starting to dim into more of a grey. I’d always found it fascinating, the way that day turned into night sometimes in a breath-taking array of colours melting together seamlessly like someone had taken a paintbrush and treated the sky and horizon as the canvas. It was quite soothing and seeing it reflecting over the ocean only added more to this affect. When the construction had first been completed, I spent most nights down on the beach just watching the show, never wanting to sleep in case I missed something.

The strong scent of paper filled my nostrils and I sighed in content. I’d always loved the way that old and new books combined their scents. It reminded me a lot of my childhood considering the times when I wasn’t going through training to become King or in weaponry, most it was spent in the library. It was always my little escape in a way and very few people knew about this tendency I had developed. I let my fingers trail along the spines of the many books in here, sometimes lingering a little bit more on others. I wasn’t sure exactly how many there was in here, a couple of thousand anyway that was for sure.

“Incredible.”

I jumped a little bit at the unexpected noise but I calmed down almost immediately as the voice registered in my mind. I looked around to see where he was and I soon spotted a familiar friendly face sitting down at a desk which overlooked the rocky cliffs below. He was muttering underneath his breath and seemingly transfixed completely on a book that I recognised vaguely. It was one of the ones that we had taken when we first found the ruins of the Cair. I hadn’t read it through, only bits and pieces of it so I had no idea what lay in between all the lines of it. 

“Good evening, Professor.”

At first, he didn’t seem to hear me but I caught a single twitch on his face which told me that he had. He pushed his glasses a little more up his nose and looked towards me, bowing his head a little bit out of respect.

“Good evening, your Majesty.”

I glanced around the space, searching for something to read. The only difficult thing was deciding on a genre, fiction or non-fiction? Horror, violence, or historical? I think that he sensed what it was that was on my mind as he gestured me to sit down beside him. I wasn’t sure what it was that he was meaning exactly but I wasn’t going to question him. My eyes trailed down to whatever it was that he was reading and I frowned in confusion at the handwriting. I recognised it, very well in fact. Was this written by Edmund? 

“It seems that the Kings and Queens of Old enjoyed documenting their more eventful days in this world. There it is some truly amazing things in here, perhaps it would be something you would enjoy reading?”

I could do nothing but nod, my curiosity now at its peak once again. I was always looking for ways to improve the way that I rule so it made sense to take notes off possibly the most famous monarchs in history. Cornelius stood up and gave me a wide smile that comforted me. Ever since my father had died he had essentially acted as a replacement to fill that void. Some people would have found this insulting but I was just extremely grateful to have someone there who understood that I needed someone to look up to for guidance. I waited until he had left before flipping to the front of the very large book, looking at the corners which were all dated the exact time that they were written. 

Over the next hour I had laughed, felt terrible, and felt elated at. The fact that this was written by them only made it seem more real in a sense. A lot of the time a book which may be based off life had certain facts which were not translated through or they were exaggerated. All their silly fights were documented along with their serious disagreements to even their suitors. I had almost cried of laughter at one which consisted of someone attempting to seduce the High King by sneaking into his chambers and waiting. Well, she had gotten a surprise when he had rejected her and then she proceeded to remove her clothes. It was only when Susan walked in that the woman in question had ran in embarrassment at being caught in such an act. 

I continued reading, trying to memorise as much of this as I possibly could so that it would be impossible to forget. Each was written in such detail that it was almost like I had travelled back in time myself and was watching everything play out right in front of me. I wasn’t sure how long I had been lost in the words for but when I looked up I noticed that it was almost pitch black outside apart from the many grey clouds coating the sky. I quickly bookmarked the page that I was on and walked back to my own bedroom. I wasn’t tired yet so I simply stood on the balcony, breathing in the fresh air which was tinged with a little salt from the ocean below. A loud boom brought me out of my thoughts and I frantically looked around for whatever it was. 

Soon it came again but this time with a blinding light. I screwed my eyes a little bit and I spotted lighting far ahead into the sea. Despite the nerves that were beginning to bubble up inside of me, I couldn’t deny that it was a spectacular sight. Almost everything looked spectacular now that there was no conflict between all the inhabitants in Narnia. I found myself just staring at natures show, jumping ever so slightly when another boom of thunder echoed. This could only be the storm that Glenstorm had meant. I was glad that I’d had a head up about it as it calmed me down more. I stayed to watch for roughly twenty minutes before walking back into my room, changing into night clothes and climbing under the covers. It wasn’t long until I had been overcome with sleep.


	5. Three

~Caspian~

I knew something was strange when I came out of the deep sleep that had claimed me the night before. I didn’t open my eyes for a bit just in case it was my body adjusting differently to how it normally did. The air was slightly bitter and was nothing like the strong cinnamon scent that normally lingered around my bedroom. It smelled like pine, and a mix of something that was completely foreign to me. Normally when I woke up, the normal scent that lingered in my room was accompanied by a little bit of salt from the ocean a few metres away. I blinked once and opened my eyes for a few seconds, closing them instantly at the blinding light from the sun above.

Wait, the sun?

I opened my eyes once again and squinted for a few moments until I could see properly. The first thing I noticed was the sky. It was its usual crystal blue but something seemed off. Like it wasn’t the same sky I had looked up at for twenty-two years of my life. Was I still dreaming? It was possible after all as I have had dreams in the past in which I have ‘woken up’ but somehow this seemed odd to me. I felt around and realised that there was something solid underneath my fingertips, some material that I had never felt before. It was a bit like marble but it wasn’t smooth, it was also a bit like stone but it was too smoothed down to be that either.

I frowned deep and shut my eyes once again for a few seconds, trying to figure out if this was just a weird dream or if something had happened. I wasn’t sure if it had only been seconds or if it had been minutes before I opened my eyes once more but this time I took in my surroundings. A few feet away from me there was grass but even then, the colour wasn’t as bright as I have seen it previously. It seemed damp and dare I say it, completely unnatural in a sense. Dread began to seep into me when I figured out that I genuinely had no idea where I was. Had I been assassinated and I was now in Aslan’s country? I highly doubted it because this was nothing like the stories portray it as. Then again, there isn’t anybody alive who has seen the land in question apart from Aslan himself.

Was I taken during the night and brought to a place that I didn’t recognise so that it would lower my chances of escape? I could feel my stomach beginning to knot uncomfortably inside of me. Confusion was clouding my thoughts as well and I knew that was not going to change unless I got answers. If I didn’t get up from my position though then I was not going to get answers. With this thought in mind, I pulled myself up until I was in a sitting position. The first thing I did was crane my neck around me, trying to pinpoint my exact whereabouts or at least get a general idea. If I had been taken during the night, then guards in the castle would have already sent out numerous search parties for me. It was a big deal after all, the King being taken.

I took a deep breath in a futile attempt at trying to calm down. I had to remain somewhat positive right now despite fear creeping deep into my bones. I was trained to hide any kind of weakness from everyone. Being of such a high rank meant that a lot of people turned against me often so I couldn’t give them a reason to try and overthrow me or even kill me. I’d already concluded that I most definitely was not in Aslan’s country so the only logical theory that I had now was that I had been taken. Doubt took over though because there were guards situated all throughout the castle. Unless it was someone within the castle walls that had done so, then nobody could have gotten inside.

So, if I wasn’t taken and I wasn’t dead, where was I? How did I get here? I had literally just gone to sleep amidst a large lightning storm and woke up in some strange place that I’ve never seen before. I glanced down to whatever it was that I was sitting on and I frowned even deeper now. It was a deep grey colour and had numerous cracks and discolouration spread all over it. It looked like stone but it didn’t feel like it at all. I glanced around once more and it was only now that I noticed that it was clearly some kind of path that stretched on in two separate directions. One appeared to lead into a wood and the other side I couldn’t see where it led to exactly as the sun was so bright that I had to strain to see a few metres in front of me.

A startled yelp from behind me caught my attention and I spun around on the spot, reaching for my sword on impulse. I frowned when I realised that I didn’t have it with me. So, with this I stood up and mentally prepared for any kind of confrontation but I was left sorely confused. I recognised the person who was there and very well, but at the same time I didn’t recognise him. Long brown hair falling to a little below his shoulders, tanned skin with a heavily muscular chest, deep hazel eyes burning deep into his surroundings. What was Glenstorm doing here? Was it him though? I took in his appearance and jumped back in fright at expecting to see his glistening chestnut coat but instead he had legs. 

Now I was even more confused and I realised exactly why it was that he was freaking out in the manner that he currently was. He had literally gone to sleep and woken up an entirely different species. What kind of place could do that? Instinct immediately took over once I realised that he was swaying a lot from not having his balance properly mastered. I ran across the small space and steadied him. He looked at me with a shocked expression but this turned to stoic almost immediately. Glenstorm was one of those people who refused to show any kind of weakness in front of someone of a high rank. As I looked closer though, I spotted a slightly panicked look deep inside of his eyes that would not be visible to anyone who wasn’t looking for it.

Slowly, I lowered him down until he was sitting down on the strange stone-like path. If he was here, was anyone else here too? I asked him to remain stationary whilst I had a quick look around our surroundings, once again attempting to pinpoint where we were and how we had gotten here. I soon got my answer as I spotted a small group of people stood a few metres away from the two of us. They seemed to spot me as well because they were soon approaching. When they were in front of us I took in exactly who it was that was here. I spotted Toma and Mikian almost immediately. Once again there were three other people who had been different species the last that we had seen of them. I had to stifle a laugh as I took in Trumpkin as it was a very strange sight to see him not so small anymore.

All of them appeared to be holding the exact same confused look that I had which was enough to somewhat calm my nerves. They were still there but they were minimal and soon curiosity took over. What could have happened during the night for us to wake up in a strange place and what kind of place could turn someone human when they were not human? Of course, it was a theory I had not considered but it was the only one that made any kind of sense. It appeared that a couple of others had just had the exact same epiphany as me because they were soon looking around in complete astonishment. It had to be something to do with the storm, there was no other explanation. We’d all heard on numerous occasions that portals opened in the least likely of situations which was why they could never be looked for. 

“I think we’re in the world that the Kings and Queens of Old came from.”

It was Toma who had spoken first and I realised now that I had been holding my breath for some unknown amount of time. I bit my lip and glanced around once again, realisation dawning on me. Of course, we could be totally wrong but now it was the only logical response that we had to this mess that we had found ourselves in. It was far too quiet an environment to be anywhere near a city so I knew that we weren’t where they were from exactly. For all we know we might not even be in the same country as them right now. This path had to lead somewhere, it was the only way we could find out exactly where we were. 

Ideas were thrown back and forth and eventually we decided to follow the side of the path that led to a place that we couldn’t see. We’d all agreed that there was no use in going into the woodland side because very rarely do people live in the middle of woods. Humans especially. Of course, there was the occasional exception but it was still very rare. Somehow, I just knew that we wouldn’t find any kind of answers there. It took Glenstorm a few minutes to finally catch his balance in a way that he could walk but he was still swaying slightly and his footing was misplaced. He wasn’t alone though and I think that calmed him down a little bit. 

I was surprised that I wasn’t scared. Perhaps it was because I’d been told a lot of things about this world. The good and the bad. I frowned a little though as I remembered the siblings speaking of a massive war taking place but the nerves disappeared almost instantly as I remembered Susan speak of only the cities being attacked. Since we were nowhere near them, we were safe. Well, safe from that anyway because I have no idea what could happen. It was difficult to tell how much time had passed because neither of us knew which way the sun rose in this world so we couldn’t base off the position of it in the sky. 

Speaking of time, how much of it had passed? The drastic difference had only been explained to me very briefly and I didn’t understand it at all. Had it maybe only been a day here whereas in Narnia it had been five? It was possible, but I shook my head to try and not think about that. We obviously needed to get answers from someone, and we most certainly were not going to get that here. It was an unspoken agreement to walk further down the path that was made of that strange black material that I had never seen before. I honestly couldn’t even tell if it was black or a very dark grey.

Why was I so interested in something as stupid as that anyway? There is clearly a massive problem going on here. All I knew was that it was beginning to get dark and the fierce winds sweeping through the atmosphere were a lot more prominent. At least two hours had passed and despite nobody saying anything, our legs were aching slightly and I realised with a start just how hungry and thirsty I was.

We needed to find some source of water and something that we could eat. It seemed that Rincon (one of the fauns-turned-humans) had taken to ripping pieces of bark from the trees and nibbling away gently on that. He clearly wasn’t enjoying it at all if his disgusted face was anything to go by. Normally I would have laughed but this was not the correct time or place to laugh. The night came in soon, and we were struggling to see ahead of us. Nobody spoke aloud, but I’m certain that at least half of the party were seriously considering leaving it for the night and looking for something when the sun rose again.

I was beginning to accept this fact myself when suddenly a glint from somewhere to my right caught my eye. I blinked a bit and turned to face the direction it had come from, screwing my eyes shut in a vain attempt to see ahead of me. I noticed that Glenstorm had also spotted it and he gave me a slightly worried look, silently asking me if we should investigate it. I looked around me to see everyone else’s faces, trying to decide what to do despite my heart beating rapidly out of a mixture of nerves and excitement. 

Roughly a minute of complete silence followed but no words needed to be spoken for everyone to understand the next plan of action. I turned to face the centaur- well, person- once more and nodded discretely to him. With that, the pair of us walked off the path and pushed away some of the trees (we had somehow found ourselves surrounded by them) in search for whatever it was that had captured our attention in the first place. I ignored the numerous twigs and sharp leaves digging into the slight part of my skin that was exposed. Soon, we came to what appeared to be a clearing and I looked around only for my mouth to fall open in shock.

I turned my head to stare at Glenstorm, waiting to see his reaction. Clearly, we had been a lot closer to civilisation than we initially thought, only a few miles away actually. It was a very large estate, that much was obvious. What we had seen was the light in the numerous windows, glinting through the darkness and creating an ominous glow. If we were going to get any answers, it was going to be here. 

It was obvious that we couldn’t say how we had gotten here in the first place, so we had to think of the next course of action without seeming too suspicious. The only people we can trust would be the siblings but without knowing this country, that would be practically impossible. All I know is that they live in Finchley, which was an area of the capital city. Nothing else. For all I know, we could be hundreds of miles from there. We walked back to where everyone else was and it didn’t take much time for someone to ask if we found anything. Glenstorm told them of our findings and then I followed that up with thinking of a plan. It must have been around ten minutes that we had done this for before we had come to an agreement on what to do.

Toma stood up now and he proceeded to remove a knife from his pocket, where did he even get that from? I didn’t complain however as he began to hack away at the branches that were sticking out and covering the area we had wrestled our way through. I won’t deny that I was irritated that he didn’t speak up on it beforehand but I realised that he was just being cautious. There could easily be wildlife that didn’t exist in our world. In fact, that theory made sense considering a lot of species in ours are only myth here. There I go again, overthinking things that were totally unnecessary. 

I gulped inaudibly, thinking over what could possibly happen here. Would who lived here believe our story? There was no room for doubt at this moment, we had to remain as optimistic as we possibly could. Within a few minutes, we were outside the large door, and Toma hesitantly walked up and knocked on it rather timidly. I heard Trumpkin muttering something under his breath like ‘I doubt anyone heard that’ and my good friend sent him a glare, telling him he hadn’t been as discrete as he thought. I had to bite down on my cheek to stop myself from laughing at the encounter but it wasn’t exactly a good place for anyone to laugh. 

A few moments of silence passed and the only thing that I could hear was the wind blowing past us along with nervous breathing. Soon, shuffling was heard from the other side of the door. When it did open, confusion settled into my face at the elderly male. He didn’t seem suspicious in any way but I had learned harshly that nobody could be trusted- sometimes not even closest friends. His hair was a silvery white, sticking harshly in patches across his head and chin. Numerous freckles covering his face. What surprised me was the smile that he was wearing, it seemed very welcoming. However, I analysed deeper into him and his stance was just screaming shock. What was he shocked about?

Toma stepped into the lead again and told him the story that we had come up with. That we were travellers who had gotten lost and had to resort to finding somewhere to stay for the night. A slightly accusing look came across the man’s face before a slight chuckle left him afterward. He stepped aside, silently inviting us all in. I caught Glenstorm’s eyes again and I almost sighed in relief at seeing the same resistance in his posture. However, this was our only place to get any kind of answer and with that, we all hastily stepped inside the manor.

Heat immediately enveloped us all and my eyes widened even more as I took in the décor inside. Staircases made completely out of solid oak, mahogany touches here and there, multiple paintings hanging on the walls, and even what appeared to be ancient weapons from this world. I frowned at the swords though. I already knew from Edmund that weapons in our world were not used here anymore- hadn’t been for hundreds of years, but seeing the proof of that was something completely different. 

I was expecting for him to direct us to somewhere we could sleep for the night, but instead he began walking up one of the staircases. He hadn’t spoken any words but neither had we yet. There was just an awkward cloud surrounding us that prevented anything. How must it have been for the siblings? At least we had a rough idea of what was going on. For them, they had literally just hidden inside of a wardrobe and ended up in a land of fairy-tales. That mustn’t have been easy in any way, in fact, they were probably terrified as everything played out. 

We were led into what appeared to be a study of some kind. It reminded me slightly of my professors but not to the same standard. Instead of numerous books on the shelves appeared to be documents of some kind. Even more paintings and drawings on the walls and my eyes landed on one. Just then, a gasp left my mouth which garnered everyone’s attention. I had seen detail like that before, a lot more actually. Those delicate brush strokes reminded me of someone. It wasn’t just that which had caught my attention though, it was who the painting was of and the background of everything.

Right in the centre of the masterpiece stood a magnificent lion. Numerous shades of gold, bronze, red, yellow, and orange blended together to capture the great lion. I had no doubt that it was of him. In the corners, though; there were four crests, each one I recognised from history. One held a silver shield with a bright red lion on the front of it, with a very impressive sword over the centre of it. The second held a bow, a quiver of arrows, and a horn. The third held two swords crossed over each other, shorter than the first. And the final one held a cordial and a small dagger. Lucy had done this.

“I recognise you from her artwork, King Caspian, is it?”

Shock rippled through me once more at my name. Everyone was remaining quiet, a very awkward quiet if I was being honest. I had only seen their crests once before and they were not in colour, they had been carved into one of the marble walls of the Cair. I snapped out of my daze to stare at him, before slowly nodding. I didn’t exactly trust myself to speak just now and luckily, I wasn’t alone with that. He smiled deeply once again before lowering his head slightly in an act of respect before speaking once more;

“Yes, I know of the four of them. They lived here for a few months during the war. They all moved back to London about five years now in this worlds time. I know of Narnia, and all the other countries.”

I had already guessed that if that painting was anything to go by. However, it seemed only a few of us had figured that out, everyone else was staring at him in shock. Wait, how did he know everything? I had been told by all of them that they had lived with someone for a few months which tied in with what this man was saying. Although, they had also touched on the fact that he already knew about our world. How did he know about it? I must have spoken the last part aloud as he chuckled just slightly under his breath. A few moments of silence followed this and I could tell some of us were getting impatient. I wasn’t though, I was simply confused and curious.

“Allow me to introduce myself, the name is Digory Kirke. I am sure you will have heard of me before?”


	6. Four

~Caspian~

There have been many times over the last five years where my mind had been far too occupied to the point that I could not sleep. I was very tired from the many hours we had spent searching for civilisation and with the weight of being in a completely new world where I’d only heard bad things about, that made it worse. My eyes were practically screaming for me to close them and allow a peaceful slumber to come, but I quite simply could not sleep.

How could I when this was going on? A part of me was really excited about being in this new world, another part of me was almost uninterested, and another part of me was terrified. I knew that the excited part of me came from my inner explorer tendencies, and from the possibility of seeing the ancient Kings and Queens again. However, fright was imbedded deep within me for two main reasons. The first being of the war in this world, had it ended? I already knew from Edmund that it had been going on for years the last time I had seen him. On top of that, the time difference was a massive factor.

Time didn’t work the same here as it did in my world. That was why the Pevensie’s were all teenagers when they came back instead of in their late twenties and early thirties. Very little was known of their personal lives as they weren’t ever archived. Even less was known of this world. All I know is that multiple years could have already passed in Narnia whereas here it had only been a matter of hours. Search parties had probably been sent out and word would have gotten out immediately of the King and some of his most trusted friends and advisors disappearance.

No, there was no way I was getting to sleep with thoughts like this circling in my mind. Annoyed, I sat up from the bed and grabbed a candle holder so I could see where I was going. After our introductions to the elderly man, he had set us up rooms to spend the night in. All of us agreed to talk in detail tomorrow after a much-needed rest and a hearty meal in the morning. I had no idea where I was going in this large estate, I just had to keep my mind occupied in one way or another from these circling thoughts.

This place was very large, that was obvious. Of course, it was still a far cry compared to the castles I’ve lived in my entire life but considering only Digory lives here, it was something. Did he not get lonely at all? I doubted anyone was awake because the moon was still high and the sky was a pitch black, it was only broken by the seemingly infinite number of stars. As I explored this small area, making sure to commit everything to memory so I don’t get lost, I glanced at the multiple decorations on the walls. One caught my attention that was inside a display case that contained two swords. Even in the dim light, I could tell that they were state of the art weapons, forged with nothing but love, care, and passion. They were a slightly odd shape but I put this down to a cultural thing. After all, Archenlandish swords differed from Narnian and Narnian swords differed from Telmarine.

I blinked a little bit before taking a breather. Right now, there was no need to overthink anything. We’d already agreed to talk in detail in the morning over a large breakfast. I couldn’t deny that I was extremely nervous considering I have no idea the state that this world is in. What if this war was still going on? Were we summoned like the Pevensie’s were to our world when it needed them? Or had a chasm opened that had lay dormant until now? It was a possibility because I’ve heard them speak about how they themselves never spotted one. They just so happened to be the right place at the right time. 

It’s funny how fate plays out in the long run. What would have happened to our world had the Pevensie’s not been where they were? In fact, what had led to them finding it? I knew it had something to do with a wardrobe but what were four kids doing inside of one? I thought deeply and the second the coin dropped, I stopped in shock. Digory had stated they had lived here a few years ago, and if my calculations were correct, it meant that they were here when the chasm opened in the first place.

This was where it all began. 

It was ironic in a sense. That the four teenager’s lives changed in a building that belonged to one of the first people to walk in Narnia. Unfortunately, very little was known of Digory’s adventures nor were his friend Polly’s. It sucked that so much was destroyed throughout the years and history had been wiped clean like polishing a sword. All that was left were documentation and nothing else. I want to know more than that though. 

I had gotten lucky with finding the personal chambers in the underground space the Pevensie’s kept their most prized possessions. Had I not noticed the adjoining room, they might still be lying in those large chests at the feet of life-like statues. There might have been very little in them, but it was enough to satisfy my craving to know about their daily lives. Not their court or royal lives, but them. I’ve always been a curious person, ever since I was a young boy.

Curiosity that had gotten me into quite a bit of trouble in my younger years. The first time it did was with my tutor when I asked for details on the Golden Age. I was only nine years old at the time if I remember correctly. I’d been read stories at night by my nurse. Then, I was only given a firm talking to and I had left believing it was all just fairy tales. Another time I remember was in front of Miraz. That then led to my nurse being dismissed from the castle and I was instead assigned Professor Cornelius. It worked out in the end and I even managed to get into contact with my old nurse after my coronation.

I snapped out of my reverie at spotting light coming from a room. It was dim but it was still noticeable. My natural instincts kicked in for a moment before I realised I wasn’t in any danger here. Instead, I took a turn and walked down a long corridor which led to a large staircase. Before I could think, I found myself wandering up them. It was only once I had reached the top that I realised I had not committed my way to memory. I had to let out a dry chuckle at that, I really should start doing that. 

At least this large building was enclosed so I knew I would eventually get to an area I knew somewhat. We hadn’t seen much of the mansion the day prior, but I had saw enough that I would recognise a couple of corridors and rooms. I looked around at the walls surrounding me, taking in the décor. From the rich plum curtains that covered the giant windows, to the rusted original frames surrounding incredible pieces of art. This place, in a way, was like a museum. That made me feel so much more comfortable than I had previously because if there is one thing I love more than adventure, it was history.

Throughout my schooling years, it was the only subject I was ever truly interested in. The only other that came somewhat close was Astronomy but that was only because Cornelius would take me to the highest tower in the Telmarine castle for ‘private’ lessons that were banned in the country at the time. I never understood why they were banned and were instead covered up by stories of ghosts. I found it comical that grown men were terrified to go near the woods because they were terrified of legends. 

I can still remember the exact time I found out what my Professor was. The initial shock almost immediately being outweighed with childhood excitement. That had only been a few months before I became an exile to my own people because of my uncle’s selfish desires. I rarely think about him, but when I do, I get weird feelings of regret. It wasn’t regret towards him, but instead to my aunt. I don’t believe for one second she was blind-sighted by his charming smile. But I also don’t believe she knew the extent of his ways.

After the battle, I had personally asked to speak to her alone. I had found her in her own bedchambers cradling my baby cousin to her chest as she cried. She’d lost a lot that day. She’d lost her husband, she’d lost her title, she’d lost the people’s trust, she’d lost her child’s father, she’d lost her crown. It only seemed fair that I be the one to talk to her. Her answers had been short and her words laced with a poisonous tone. Despite this, I had managed to read in between her words to realise she was genuinely sorry for me but she was just overcome with so much emotion.

I wonder how she’s doing now. I already know it has been four years in this world, but I don’t know much else. I had asked Edmund at some point if he was aware of the island in question my ancestors came from. He had simply shrugged which told me he was just as clueless as I was on the matter. However, he did state that with our characteristic tanned skin, dark eyes, and dark hair, we probably came from a tropical island.

The entire matter had been dropped within seconds and no words were spoken on it again. Even when I had watched my aunt walk up those steps with my cousin and her father towards the chasm with the intention of never returning. I wonder how they were doing? Perhaps there might be a way for me to find them. I shook my head now before I blinked and looked around me. Once again, I had found myself in a part of the mansion I had not seen before. I don’t even know how long it had been since I had been taken up by nostalgia. I glanced at the candle I was carrying and saw it had burned down a good centimetre so it had been a while.

Despite this, curiosity was still bubbling away inside of me. So, I decided to explore more. I walked over to one of the windows to get an idea of how high up I was exactly. I was at least three floors up now and I wondered how many this place had. I feel bad for whoever must clean this large building. I spotted a few more paintings and even a couple of tapestries on the walls as I walked. I stopped to analyse them for a few minutes before continuing again. There was a door open ahead and from a quick glance inside, I spotted it was a small library.

Normally, I would have ran inside and started searching through everything. Books had always been an escape of reality for me. It’s not easy being a King and knowing there were thousands of people looking up to me every single day. It was a massive burden knowing I couldn’t make any mistakes without being ridiculed by the majority. It certainly doesn’t help that I’m still twenty-three. I wasn’t as young as the Pevensie’s were when they came to the throne, but they had each other. I was all alone.

Peter had been seventeen when he was crowned, Susan had been sixteen, Edmund had been fourteen, and Lucy was only twelve. How did four kids manage to successfully lead into an era that would quite literally go down in history? Their ages seemed like a massive disadvantage to them, but I knew different. They might have the bodies of children, but they had the minds of much older. I soon came to another staircase but this one was surrounded by walls on both sides. The others had been in open spaces which told me this part of the mansion was not meant for visitors.

This realisation made me want to know exactly what was up here. They were considerably steeper than the rest but once I got to the top I frowned at the rather small corridor. There were only four doors up here, and there was not a single decoration on the walls apart from an ornate mirror. I checked the first door only to find out it was locked. The second one was as well. The third was open but there was nothing inside it apart from a few boxes. The fourth however, held something amazing.

At first glance, nothing seemed special about it. There was nothing in it apart from a small window that looked onto the grounds and a large wardrobe. Normally, this wouldn’t have caught my attention. What did though, was the decoration. I walked over towards it and took in every single piece of the carving. There were eight panels in the dark wood. On one was what appeared to be a forest, on another was animals, another had a castle. The one that caught my eye was the lion that was mid-roar.

My fingers trailed along it. There was no doubt in my mind that this was it. This was one of the chasm’s. Now, it lay dormant like so many others, but this one meant so much. Slowly, I turned the knob and went to open it when I heard a floorboard creak behind me. I jumped and instinctively reached for my sword which was not there. A deep but friendly chuckle caught my attention as I turned around to come face to face with Digory himself.

“Fascinating, isn’t it? How something as simple as a wardrobe can cause all of this?”

I caught the fond tone in his voice which told me he was feeling nostalgic over his own adventures in Narnia and the Wood between the Worlds. 

“How did you come into possession of this, sir?”

He snorted a little before finally standing beside me to look at the woodwork in detail like I was. He was a few inches shorter than me but I was taller than average. His white hair only remaining in tufts across his head and wrinkles covering all his exposed skin. 

“There is no need for courtesies, Caspian. Oddly enough, this wardrobe would not exist were it not for Narnia.”

I frowned a little and turned towards him, sensing a story behind this.

“My mother was very ill when I first came to Narnia. When I plucked that apple from the tree, I also plucked another. I took it back with me with Aslan’s permission, and gave it to my mother. The magic within it cured her. I couldn’t part with it as it was my only physical link I had to Narnia since Polly and I got rid of the rings. So, I planted it in the back garden. Over the many years, it grew into a large tree. It was taken down during a storm one night. Instead of disposing of it, I had the wood carved into this.”

Silence overcame the two of us then. No words needed to be spoken as we were both lost in our own little trances. Memories were swirling around in my head ranging from good to terrible. My fingers trailed along the delicately carved wood which was almost burgundy in its shade. It wasn’t a type of wood I was familiar with and that only seemed to make it even more special in a sense. 

“How did they find it? It’s so high up here.”

A small laugh escaped him. I turned around towards him only to see him jerking his head. It wasn’t a massive gesture by any means but I knew it well enough. He wanted me to follow him somewhere. I wasn’t used to taking orders anymore considering it was usually me who gave them. But I knew my place here. In this world, I was just like everyone else. A twenty-three-year-old man. I frowned when he walked into the small library I had come across earlier. I followed him towards the large stained-glass window that overlooked a large part of the grounds.

“It was Lucy who first found the chasm. It was raining heavily one day and they were trapped in here. From Edmund himself, I knew that our dear Susan was trying to invent a dictionary game that the others didn’t want to join in on.”

I snorted at this. I could imagine that happening in my head.

“Lucy begged them to play hide and seek with her and you know how persuasive she can be, I’d assume. She’s always had something about her that forced people to never tell her no. She came up here and found the wardrobe, and she hid in it. Inside is filled with multiple fur coats, and she climbed into the bag intending to hide amongst it. Instead, she found Narnia. Only a minute or so had passed on this side of the chasm before she came barrelling into the hallway screaming she was alright. None of the others believed her.”

I wanted to tell him I knew this already. But I also wanted to know it from his point of view.

“She kept on about it for a few days. One night she came here again and Edmund followed her, he got in too. They both came back not long after but Edmund denied it. Peter and Susan came to me with worrisome glances, not knowing what to think. They thought she was either making it up as a coping mechanism to deal with the war here, or even that she was going insane. Do you want to know what I told them?”

I nodded silently as I analysed the coloured glass in detail. It was beautiful work, there was no denying it.

“I gave them simple logic that was enough to put their worries to rest. Lucy was never one to lie, nor was she going crazy. Which left the only option there was and that was she was being honest. They still didn’t believe her of course, but they also didn’t discredit her on it.”

My lips were pursed now before my eyes widened at something. I craned my neck up to analyse a piece of the glass-work, and it became clear. Some of this had been replaced at some point. But why?

“Edmund wasn’t exactly the nicest person when they were first sent here. He took their father being sent off to fight harder than the rest and he took it out on everyone else. He said some things to Lucy that really upset her. Anyway, I’d say another week passed after this incident and they all decided to play cricket. It’s a sport in this world that involves a bat and a ball. Edmund accidentally broke this window here with a swing and neither of them wanting to get into trouble, scampered around the mansion looking for a place to hide. That was how they all stumbled into Narnia.”

Once again, he jerked his head. A silent gesture for me to follow him once again. We came down two flights of stairs and much to my relief, to a corridor I recognised. He led me into the same room we had all been in previously and I spotted what appeared to be a letter he was writing. Why was he awake? He must be at least in his mid-sixties. Cautiously, I sat down across from him and my eyes glanced over what he was writing.

“They need to know the chasm opened backwards and that you are all here. I might need you to do something as proof.”

I frowned as he finished writing it. Then, he handed it over to me to read. I scanned it quickly and frowned at seeing ‘you are in a troubled place’, but I wasn’t going to question it. That must be something he’s going to tell us all at the same time later. What could I do to make this believable? I paused for a few seconds before an idea struck. I asked for his pencil and wrote something that had been said to me only by the four siblings. Digory would not know about it and nor would anyone else. 

A crown being on someone’s head doesn’t make them a King or Queen to go down in history, it’s who you choose to be that will make you a King or Queen that goes down in history.

For good measure, underneath the quote, I quickly sketched my seal. They had seen it a few times from my signet ring along with my signature. As if it was a final piece of evidence, I removed the piece of jewellery in question and slid it into the envelope. Now we wait.


	7. Five

~Caspian~

At some point through the night, he had escorted me back to the rom he had let me sleep in. After that talk, nerves were bubbling inside of me along with a bit of excitement over the possibility of seeing the siblings again. However, I had caught something. It had been so miniscule and I don’t think Digory had done it on purpose. Or if he had, he had done it in a way so that I hopefully wouldn’t see. But I was perceptive, Edmund had taught me some of his tricks that allowed him to tell if a person was being truthful or to see what they were really thinking.

As he was talking, his lips were just slightly pursed. In fact, if I hadn’t been searching I wouldn’t have spotted it. On top of that, his voice was just a tiny bit lower as he spoke about them which immediately told me that something bad was happening. Then to top it all off, his eyebrows were creased just slightly in the centre that weren’t just wrinkles. It was clear he was hesitant, and it wasn’t about us being in his manor. He was hesitant over something else.

But what?

He had told us he was going to explain everything over something to eat in the morning, but I highly doubted I was getting to sleep tonight. Well, this morning really because the sky was gradually lightening which told me it was almost dawn. Due to this, my body was tired. Despite this, my mind was wide awake and my senses were alive. Multiple thoughts were running through my head like the way water cascades over a cliff. Graceful, yes dangerous. Looking stunning, but also deadly.

By playing scenarios back to back in my head, I only came to one conclusion that would explain his body language. When these tiny things had adorned his elderly features, it had been when he was speaking of the Pevensie’s. Realisation hit me like a giant rock. Whenever they came to our world, we were in dire need of help. Was the same true for us this time? Were they in trouble? If so, how long had it been going on for? 

I blinked a few times and even attempted to sleep but I woke up moments later with even more questions developing than there had been previously. I rolled over on the surprisingly comfortable bed (even though it was a lot smaller than I was used to), and grabbed a book I had taken off the shelf in the library we had been talking in. I snorted at the idea of Edmund smashing the window with a ball at fourteen years old. It was funnier that they had all scampered around the house thinking they would somehow not be in trouble for it. 

It sounded like something they would do over something ridiculous. It was only when things were serious that these things didn’t happen between them. I can remember vividly when Peter told us of his plan to let Lucy go off to find Aslan. How everyone was looking at him like he was insane for allowing a thirteen-year-old to go off into the woods alone with nobody to protect her. Then again, neither of them had seen her throw a knife like I had. I have a feeling that her skills have only gotten deadlier in this world seen as she has had a further four years to practice.

I wonder if they looked like their statues that were underneath the Cair? Peter would now be twenty-two, Susan would be twenty-one, Edmund would be nineteen, and Lucy would be seventeen. They weren’t the kids people had saw in Narnia the first or second time they had been there. It didn’t matter if they were adults stuck in children’s bodies. Now, they were all adults except Lucy. What were they all doing? I remember Peter saying something about wanting to go for a career involving medicine, which I had been surprised with. I remember that conversation well.

\---

As the words left the slightly younger male, my breath hitched. Had he just said that? It seemed the other people in attendance had the same thoughts as I did, because a few opened their mouths to retaliate. However, they all thought differently when the young High King gave them all an incredibly stern glare. They knew from experience and from legend, that Peter rarely changed his mind. Within seconds, they all shut their mouths before he let another bombshell out;

“Whilst she is gone, I want some of you to work on dislodging the pillar that keep up the ground above us over some tunnels. Not to the point where they will just collapse on their own, but with the correct distraction from the opposing army, we can trap them underneath the ground. That way, they will only have two options; yield or die. Either way, we’ve got an upper hand then. However, to do this, we need time. Therefore, I will be sending a challenge personally inviting Miraz to single combat- to the death.”

Now, my eyes widened, and I looked towards him in shock. My mouth fell open as his words sank in to me. To the death. I searched his face frantically for any sign of dishonesty, but there was none. His face was set in stone, which told me how serious he was about both mine and his people’s cause. 

“Your Majesty, he is my uncle- “

He nodded lightly from beside me, but it was enough to silence me. It wasn’t a good thing for somebody of a lower rank to challenge someone of a higher rank. 

“I am aware of that, Caspian. I am not taking your place, and I am also not intentionally making you feel weak. You need to stay alive. After all, as soon as this is over you are going to be sitting on a throne. Not me, nor my siblings, nor anyone else. I am not willingly putting you in more danger than previously. Also, you have told me yourself you were trained under the same person as Miraz, which tells me you will both have a similar fighting style- which is a disadvantage for you. I on the other hand, was taught differently. He won’t expect me, and he also knows naught of mine and my siblings reign over a millennium ago, nor will he be aware of my techniques. Therefore, he will be shocked at not being challenged by you, will feel embarrassed that he knows nothing about us, he will be startled by my fighting style, and most of all, he will be mad that someone of seventeen has the gall to challenge him to the extreme. Edmund is currently writing out the challenge as we speak and if I know my devious little brother, he will spin it in a way that he will feel mocked so he will be forced to comply.”

As he spoke, my eyes gradually widened. He was serious about this. His words rang throughout the room clear as a hot summer day, and carried the weight of an ancient sovereign. This was not a seventeen-year-old speaking, this was a thirty-one-year-old trapped in a younger body. Knowledge of a person that could only come from years of experience. In this moment, I saw High King Peter the Magnificent for the first time. Everyone else in the room were looking towards him in astonishment as with some simple words that clearly took a lot of thought, he had changed their perception of him completely. With a simple nod from Peter, they all set to work. It was a clever plan, cutting out underneath and steering some of them in. 

It would give us an upper hand. It wasn’t a tactic that would win us the war, but it was going to buy us much needed time. On top of that, it would add the surprise factor that was needed to unhinge some people which would only make it simpler for us. I wonder if he had previously used this method in battle. It wouldn’t surprise me, he’s been in over a dozen if the stories were true. Once we were alone in the room, his face drastically changed. The kingly aura I had been feeling a moment before had disappeared.

“King Peter- “

“Drop the title, Caspian, please. I might be older but currently I am the same age as yourself.”

I blushed slightly and looked around, my eyes locking on some of the paintings on the walls. It was hard to believe that this teenager standing next to me was older than these. 

“You said you don’t want me to die, but what if you die? You’ve got another life ahead of you.”

A sad smile adorned his face at my words, but I spotted something behind it. He tilted his head to the side a little which was a silent gesture for me to follow him. I was surprised at how quickly he had transformed into a young adult again so quickly. Now, I felt as I was walking with someone I went to school with and not with a legendary sovereign. 

“What were you planning to do in your world, K- Peter.”

He smiled lightly at my slip up which instantly made him look his age. Any other time I have seen him he seemed to have a permanent stony expression adorning him. It was a nice change, and the atmosphere around us was comfortable. I followed him down a small corridor which was where both himself and Edmund disappeared to get ready every day. I found it weird they didn’t get dressed along with everyone else. 

“It might surprise you Caspian, but I am actually considering a degree in medicine. A degree is one of the highest forms of education you can get in our world, and it’s something I enjoy. I want to do something different, experience something I haven’t before. I’ve already experienced so much more than most people. However, inside I will always be a warrior and a leader. You simply cannot be a ruler for fifteen years and forget everything. So, even if I don’t make it out of this, I know I have done it for the right thing.”

His words were almost like a dagger to my heart. We might not see eye to eye on a lot of things, but it was hard to heard somebody so young speak like this. 

“Don’t you ever want to get married or have children though?”

He froze in his step for a second before resuming. Not many people would have spotted him hesitate, but they surely would spot the sad look coating his eyes. In those bright blue eyes, I saw pain and intense levels of hurt. Why had my words made such an impact on him? He breathed deeply before opening a door and allowing me inside. He closed it behind him and glanced towards me for a split second. It was enough to tell me he saw my curiosity and that I had seen the tiny movement. He bit his lip and proceeded to remove his boiled leather tunic to reveal his bare chest. 

Muscles bulged underneath the skin, showing his strength. Numerous scars adorning his back and the front, showing just how battered his body had gotten over the years. Something else caught my eye though, something I hadn’t seen before. Cautiously, I walked forward to look at the writing on his ribs. It was clear they had been put there so they couldn’t be seen unless he removed his clothing like he was now. I noticed he was shaking a little in his spot as he slowly lifted his arm. I crouched down a little considering I was a couple inches taller than him so I could read what was there.

Aylene – 15/04/1003  
Arlo – 23/07/1004  
Haldon – 02/10/1006  
Carrie – 18/01/1008

Why did he have names etched on him? And what were they etched on with? It didn’t look like they had been drawn on. 

“Things are different in our world Caspian, as you know. This is what is called a tattoo, a permanent inking. This will be on me until I die. I’m not going to explain how you get them but I’m sure if you ask Edmund he will do just that. As to answer to your silent question, I can’t want something I’ve already had.”

For a few moments, his words didn’t register for me. I was too engrossed in the writing to do anything else. The second they did though, I was looking at him with my eyes wider than that of a doe’s. 

“But there aren’t any records of any royal weddings.”

He bit his lip before slowly putting on his armour. It was clear he was skilled in doing so as I don’t know anyone who can apply correctly without help.

“I’m aware of that. Aylene was my wife Caspian, the date I have on me for life is the day we got married. We had a very small ceremony as far as royal weddings go, only two hundred guests, but that is what we wanted. She came from humble beginnings much like myself and we liked to keep our marriage just as a family affair. As you can guess, the others I have were our children’s names. Arlo and Carrie are both names in my world that Aylene loved, and Haldon we named to honour her father. I never saw my children grow up, Arlo was only eleven when we fell through the chasm and Carrie was seven. They grew up without their father. All records of them were burned in the battle that occurred a decade after our disappearance. I don’t know what happened to them, or my wife. Did they live to an old age? Did she remarry or did any of my children do so? Did they have kids of their own? Did they die young? They’re questions I’ll never get an answer to, Caspian. That is the one thing I really want apart from my country being saved. So, even if I do die today, I’ll be reunited with my family.”

\---

Some tears fell on to my cheeks in remembrance. Seeing and hearing the pain the young King was going through daily. No wonder he was so bitter. None of them said anything on the matter, all knowing how much it hurt him. He’d gotten married at nineteen and became a father a twenty. Instead, he channelled his broken heart in to helping his country and people. With both his and Edmund’s clever tactics concerning victory, we won the war. A loud knocking on the door broke me from my thoughts and a deep female voice yelled through;

“The professor has requested your presence in the dining room.”

Her feet echoed down the hall after this, and I frowned in confusion. With a quick glance out the window, my eyes widened at seeing the sun had risen a fair amount. I rolled off the bed and placed the book I hadn’t even read on the table next to the bed and pulled some clothes on. What had been laid out for us was not what I was used to, but I managed. I walked out and ran down the stairs nearby which I remembered from when I had been led to the room. I found the dining room easily enough and outside I spotted Glenstorm still struggling to stand upright. His back was slightly arched from habit and his knees were bent slightly. He nodded upon seeing me and I helped him inside much to his annoyance. There was a reason I had made him a general, he was incredibly stubborn and always done things by himself. It was a reality check for the both of us. Everyone else was already sitting down when we got in and I spotted Toma getting ready to stand up in honour of me when he thought differently. 

“Now, I promised you all answers concerning this world and about the Pevensie’s. But first, we should eat.”

I felt my stomach rumble lightly at the thought and soon our plates were loaded with eggs, bacon, sausage, blood sausage, and a few other things I hadn’t seen before. Despite this, I ate most of it until I was certain that if I moved I would have an aching body. We all sat in silence after finishing, waiting on Digory to tell us what was going on.

“Ok, I assume you want to know about this world. Also, I have a fair idea why you were all summoned here. This was Aslan’s work, there is no doubt about that. I’ll get straight to it, things aren’t good where they are. It happened so suddenly, and I know everything because we send letters back and forth often. The city is at war with itself.”

Deep down, I knew it was something along those lines. 

“Three years ago, was when it started, and a few months after the fighting began, they started to pull apart into what they call factions, or districts. Naturally, they are all in Finchley, which is just north of the city centre, so they are in a lot of danger. I think you’ve all been summoned to help out them this time instead of the other way around.”

~One week later, Edmund~

I knew it was imminent, another attack that was. It had been a week since the last one we had gotten but this time we had been prepared. At all entrances, I had made sure to station our best fighters at all entrances into our faction. The others hadn’t been expecting us to be prepared, and only a few were sent out. They were all dealt with soon after and two had been take in for questioning. They didn’t give us any information, but we were still not going to let them go. They were far too valuable and if our cards were played correctly, we might have an alliance on our hands.

Alliances were rare now, only around ten were living in harmony with one another and they were all in the south side of the city. There was only one way to get there now and that was over the numerous bridges that crossed the River Thames. That wasn’t happening though, it was far too dangerous to do that and would be incredibly stupid. I walked down the long corridor and took a turn down one that was hardly used. It eventually led to Harrow in the northwest of the city which was directly on the edge, and was one of our two somewhat alliances.

It wasn’t official like the others were, but we never attacked one another. We even helped the other out on a few occasions. Since they were near the edge of the city, any letters that came in went through them first. Which was why I was coming down here, to see if there was any. It was dark apart from a few makeshift torches attached to the walls considering electricity hasn’t really been a thing for a while here now. When I got to the box our letters were kept, I spotted four in total. I grabbed them all and scanned through them quickly.

At first, I thought nothing of them, but the third caught my eye. I recognised that writing. I walked closer to one of the torches and analysed it in detail, and realisation dawned on me. Digory. Why was he writing us? Immediately, I stuffed it in my pocket so nobody else could see it and ran back as fast as I could to hand them over to Michaela. She always read through letters beforehand in case someone put an explosive inside or there was something more dangerous in writing.

She couldn’t see this though, there was no way. I ran to the room that had been set out for Peter and me. I locked the door and moved over to the torch that was inside and ripped it open. I scanned it quickly and then read it again in disbelief. My heart was beating frantically in my chest in a way that it hadn’t in a long time. Fear. It was something I rarely felt, having experienced more than most people in this city. They had to know. I stuffed it back in my pocket and made my way towards the room we had assigned for planning. Once I got there, I spotted Peter with Benjamin talking about something that seemed serious. But this was more serious.

“Peter!”

He looked up at me with an irritated look considering he was currently speaking about plans. So many emotions were running through me right now, I honestly didn’t care about budging into the middle of a very important conversation. I could see just how annoyed he was, and this was confirmed when he spoke;

“Not now, Ed. We need to finish up with this plan.”

He proceeded to turn around and speak again in hushed voices with Benjamin. It was usually us three with Henry who made up the final decisions with planning. A lot of people looked down on us initially due to our physical age, but we had proven them all wrong a long time ago now. My fingers gripped the letter harder in my palm before walking over and just shoving it in front of his face. I could tell he was both shocked and annoyed that I was willingly interrupting this but as soon as he took in who had written it, his face had gone pale.

“Digory wrote to us, it’s about you know what I’m talking about.”

I wasn’t entirely sure what I was expecting his reaction to be, but complete bewilderment wasn’t what I thought I’d see. Numerous reasons were running through my mind, trying to figure out an exact reason as to why he was acting this way. Benjamin was looking back and forth between both of us, also seemingly surprised by Peter’s facial expression. 

“Ben, can you leave us alone for a few minutes? Also, find our sisters and send them here.”

I watched as he gulped uncertainly, and I knew why. Nobody but us dared to even get Susan to do anything anymore. She’s not the same person she used to be, she wasn’t even who she is. Not many people could see it but we all could, we could see the pain behind her icy blue eyes. We could see past her constant frowns and her argumentative nature. That was something that hadn’t really changed much with her. I snapped out of my thoughts as I looked at my brother again and warmth ran through my body as the voice he had used had registered. We all had specific voices that we put on partially so that our people understood our extremely foreign accents better, but also because it was more formal. It had been four years since I’d last heard him use that voice and it was strangely comforting.

“Lion’s mane, this is such a mess, Ed.”

Even him swearing by Him was a strange thing to hear. In this world, there were far too many religions but we all knew that swearing in His name would just be an incredibly stupid move. We’d figured out over a year ago, just who He was here so instead if we were ever asked about our faith we replied that we were Christian, which wasn’t far from the truth. As his words processed, I nodded solemnly as the words repeated in my mind. We couldn’t speak out loud just now, not until our sisters got here. 

Ironically, a moment later the door swung open and I didn’t even need to look to see who it was. The stomping and huffing was all I needed to hear. It hurt seeing Susan like this, but we knew that this was her way of grieving. The only person who did know what she was going through was Peter. It hurt him massively when he found out that almost all records of Aylene had been lost and almost nobody knew about her- never mind their three children. Lucy soon followed Susan and she locked the door behind her to make sure nobody could barge in unexpectedly. Our sisters sat down next to us around the table now and it wasn’t long until one of them spoke;

“So, what is the problem here? I need to get back to shooting practise.”

At this, I rolled my eyes because she of all people did not need practise in that field. She’s had two decades worth of it so it wouldn’t make much of a difference if she missed out on a couple of hours. Lucy was sniggering quietly beside her which caused Susan to glare at her, but it didn’t faze her in the slightest. We’ve all dealt with her furious rants and glares enough to know that she would never do anything to harm us intentionally. 

“Pete, you look awful.”

She was correct with her observation- Peter did look awful. He had gone deathly pale and I could see he was breathing harder than he usually did. Slowly, I reached over and took the paper from his palm and passing it over so that the girls could read it.

“Digory wrote to us, we’ve got a massive problem on our hands.”

This perked Susan’s interest if her furrowed brows were anything to go by. She leaned over to get a closer look as did Lucy. We both sat in silence as they read, trying to figure out what the other was thinking about this situation. Lucy cursed quietly under her breath before looking up at us both. Her dark blue eyes seemed to deepen more than usual, her skin also turning a paler shade of white. I quickly scanned Susan out of my peripheral vision to see that she was re-reading the note, like she didn’t believe what she was reading.

“The chasm opened back up, and instead of someone from this world going its went the other way. Digory has taken them all in and is awaiting our response.”

I nodded her way, still not quite believing it myself. If the letter had not been signed at the end and with that ink print in the corner of it, I would have thought someone figured out our biggest secret and was trying to unhinge us. 

“It’s obvious, is it not? What we need to do?”

Hearing her say something had shocked me, I won’t lie. I glanced up to see my older sister, her deep chocolate waves and baby blue eyes boring deep into me. It appears her statement had taken our other siblings off guard as well because I felt Peter shift uncomfortably beside me and Lucy gasped lightly. Nobody else would have spotted these actions because they were so minimal they would be immediately overlooked. We knew each other inside out though. I leaned across the table a bit more, still not breaking my gaze with Susan, quirking my eyebrow up quizzically at her.

“One of us needs to get there as soon as possible.”

Peter jumped a bit and I knew he was planning to retort but with a single furious glance from Susan, he hesitantly shut his mouth.

“I know, but hear me out here. Don’t you all remember how terrified we were when it happened to us? They are going to be even more scared because a lot of things in this world have not been discovered in the other world in any of the countries. We owe it to them, to give them a direct explanation of everything that has been happening especially in London.”

We all looked down to the wooden table at this, all knowing that she was correct. Much to everyone’s annoyance, Susan was rarely ever wrong.

“I think Edmund should be the one to go. He’s been a spy on our side for over two years now and he knows the unused tunnels better than anyone in our faction. He’ll be able to get out of the city and catch a train up to Digory’s estate.”


	8. Six

~Caspian~

A few days had passed since the letter had been sent. I just hope it was enough for them to believe the massive predicament we were now all involved in. Most of the time, I had taken to walking around the mansion in a state of wonder and fascination. There really wasn’t much either of us could do here until we got either a response or an impromptu appearance from one of them. I was worried however.

It was obvious to both Glenstorm and myself that Digory had summarised everything so as not to worry us. We had waited until late that night before demanding a more in-depth description. I was left sorely deflated that he didn’t have much information, but he handed us over previous letters that had been sent between both himself and the siblings. It wasn’t much, but it was all he could offer. That night we had asked for something to write on to try and piece the whole picture together.

We had given up though after not much time had passed at all. It was simply impossible for us to do so considering we knew nothing about the way of this world. There were so many words I had never heard of before and it didn’t help it had clearly been coded in a way only the four of them and the elderly man knew. Glenstorm immediately stated the one solution to it, that there was a chance someone might find one of the letters. Since it was only the five of them and Polly who knew about the other world (that we knew about), it would be too high a risk to do anything.

I wonder where the people who willingly went through the chasm to this world ended up. I knew deep down that I wouldn’t meet either of them nor hear anything about them. Some questions simply couldn’t be answered no matter the circumstances. After that, I had found it difficult to sleep. At most, I got three hours a night, but it was nowhere near enough for me to function properly. I couldn’t sleep though. A mixture of fear yet anticipation bubbling deep inside of me. During my night time wanderings, I always ended up in the library to take out some of the books that Digory owned. 

As much as I wanted to read up on the history of this world, it was going to take way too long to do so. In the history section alone, there had to be at least three hundred books both old and new. They weren’t small either, the smallest looked like it had at least four hundred pages. They would take too long to get through, so I had instead travelled to other sections. It didn’t take me long to get entranced in the detective novels, especially the ones that were not based on real-life events.

Just the way the author had written them in so much detail that it was simple to paint an exact replica of what they were thinking, and the way they were feeling. The way the characters had been built up in incredible detail so that it felt like they were a personal accomplice be that a friend or an enemy. I remember Edmund having an argument with Lucy where she pointed out that he shouldn’t necessarily rely on what worked in fiction instead of life. However, he had shrugged her off and continued with creating a battle plan with Peter.

Their bickering was amusing. Despite everything being hard on them and with the impending cloud that was an upcoming fight, they still managed to joke around with one another. I never got to have a sibling, I was only four when my father had been brutally murdered in his sleep. I had always wanted one though. I wanted to be able to have someone to irritate constantly yet also guide to become the best person they could be. In a way, I had gotten that. Then it had been snatched away like I was simply the dog that had its treat removed from sight.

Digory had told us time and time again that it normally took an average of a fortnight to get a response from them. It took almost a week to get in to London and a further week to get out of London. This was due to them not being able to deliver normally there anymore as nobody trusted one another. He stated that another faction on the outer perimeter of the city dealt with their mail and they were in a somewhat alliance. That didn’t make sense to me because to me an alliance was an alliance, there was no in between.

It was another smack to the face for me. Just when I started to get used to this world and its ways, something else hit me to knock sense back in to me. The world may have similarities, but when it comes down to it they really are nothing alike. Maybe in some time span in this world, hundreds of years ago, that had been the case. But this was now, not then. I shook my head frantically from side to side before pulling something out I hadn’t looked at in a while. Lucy’s sketchbook.

Even now it amazed me that I had recognised Lucy’s painting that was on the wall in Digory’s office. I’ve never really been a person who was that interested in art, I was always more the kind of person who preferred action-fuelled leisurely activities. But now I saw just how something as simple as art could portray so much and give tiny factors away concerning a personality. Lucy had mastered it. Had it always been something she’d done or was it something she’d picked up later in life? Perhaps that is a question I could ask her because there was no doubt in my mind I would see her again. Right now, all I could do was wait. 

~Edmund~

The second Susan suggested that I go up north to visit Digory, I wanted to do so immediately. If I could, I would’ve appeared there a second later. Unfortunately, that could not be done. I couldn’t simply just waltz out of the city and not expect to have a few eyebrows raised. I had to have a plan that wouldn’t be too crazy. Two days had passed since we received Digory’s letter, two days of constant plotting and trying to come up with something. Which led to now. I walked through the tunnel towards Harrow with a slight limp. There had been a raid last night in Finchley and I got injured. 

I had a bandage wrapped around my leg but despite this, it throbbed painfully in the cloth. Lucy had done what she could with the supplies she had, but it was only miniscule. There were no pain relievers, and there were no sterile environments anymore. We simply had to make do with what we had. She’d pulled the bullet out quickly and checked to see if anything serious had been hit. It became clear nothing was and she cleaned the wound and stitched me up. It made me really wish we had access to morphine or even better her cordial.

Both were things we couldn’t get though. One being in another world and the other only being accessible in Enfield and Kensington. They weren’t far from us, but they were the most protected and most structured of the factions in London. There were also rumours that some parts of Croydon had it as well, but there was no proof of it. So currently that was only speculation. And speculation was something we couldn’t go off, we could only go off proof. The wrappings had already been changed and cleaned once more and it was stinging more than usual. Despite my noticeable limp however, a few people looked my way in complete respect. I might only be nineteen in this world but mentally I’m thirty-four, I was looked up to. All four of us were. 

I clutched the letter tightly in my hand that had the plan etched on to it. It was Lucy who suggested it. Whenever we sent letters to and from Digory’s estate, our excuse was that he was an outsider who helped us. It wasn’t necessarily a lie, but it was far from the whole truth. Now, that small lie was being enforced. Inside, we explained we needed kerosene, so we could light fires to keep warm. It was believable considering nobody in their right mind would attack such a stronghold as Kensington for only one thing. 

Quite frankly, it would be stupid to raid for many things there never mind one thing. 

I wasn’t in any rush which I was thankful for because my leg was throbbing painfully. Despite this, I refused to show any form of weakness. It was something I’d mastered over many years of being both a King and a warrior. Never let possible enemies see weakness, only show them strength. If they saw weakness, it could very easily be used against said person, but if there were none visible then it was immediately a disadvantage. Thirty minutes later I arrived in Harrow and I handed over the letter where it would be taken to a nearby town to be stamped and posted.

Why no other part of England aided in the chaos that was London baffled me. The only thing I could think was that this was the capital and if the capital fell, surely that meant the rest of the country failed too? This didn’t matter though, what did matter was what was going on and not why nobody helped. If people wanted to play happy families whilst a volcano was slowly erupting, that was their choice and not mine. I quietly explained to Hailey (who regularly left the city to deliver letters) that it was being sent to an outsider, but I was careful to not tell her why it was being sent. After all, we were not in an alliance with Harrow.

After this, I deliberately waited three more days for a few reasons. The first being my leg because I didn’t want to strain it too much. I’d been shot five days ago, not an injury that can cure itself in a few moments. The second being that if the letter arrived prior to me arriving at Digory’s, he would have the supplies to make it simply look like we were transporting goods in. Third, we had training to attend. Neither of us trained ourselves, because there wasn’t much we could be trained on anymore. Instead we were some of the twenty trainers we had. It was already odd that a nineteen and twenty-two-year-old had such an important role, but it was weirder considering both Susan and Lucy were involved. We’d gotten multiple looks (the girls especially), but we’d been accepted.

When it came down to it, we were a very different family. In more ways than one. I would be leaving through the night, to make it more believable. If I had to guess it was probably around 4pm but there was no way to know exactly since we couldn’t base off the position of the sun and batteries were scarce. They were harder to come by than electricity was and that was saying something. There was only one place that Finchley had it and that was in the kitchens for obvious reasons. I grabbed a few guns and a couple of knives before making my way to the training room.

As usual, I was first there, and I met Lucy who was helping set up targets. We didn’t have unlimited space, so we practised by slowly making the targets smaller. Apart from us, there were only around a dozen people who could also hit the bullseye and most shots. I walked over to the corner and grabbed a couple targets myself, sticking them to the wall with varying heights to emulate a person’s physique. Larger targets towards the middle, medium ones where a head would normally be, and small ones directly where the neck would be. Just as we finished, the room filled up with our students for the day.

We had teenagers in today, a mixture of male and female. A few years ago, this would have been frowned upon, but desperate times call for desperate measures. I spotted a few of the guys eyeing Lucy up but with a single furious glance from me, they averted their gazes. From a quick analysis, I recognised about half which meant we had newer students in today. That meant they were thirteen. Any younger and they were not obligated to train. They could practise all they wanted though to make up for that.

We pointed towards the one wall where there were no targets set up but instead was filled with weapons. We didn’t use real bullets in the guns, but they were similar. They just wouldn’t break skin, but they certainly could leave a nasty bruise. Some of our students had learned that the hard way. Now, there were warnings placed beside them, so they knew to expect that as the worst. Training sessions worked in sections. For thirty minutes, it was solely shooting. Then there was a ten-minute break if anyone wanted water or something quick to eat. Then the next thirty minutes was solely throwing. 

By the end of it, they were all panting heavily whilst Lucy and I had barely broken a sweat. We were used to a lot more strenuous activity than they were. They all slowly left through the door before we began picking up the numerous discarded weapons. No words were spoken between us as we done so, despite the clanging making a good distraction from anyone who might overhear. Once we finished, she gave me a challenging grin that I recognised. I grabbed a few knives myself along with her and we went for the moving targets. They were higher up, and those who were good with building, had made them hang from the ceiling. 

I turned them on, and waited a few moments for them to start. They steadily sped up to the pace we were comfortable with which for a lot of people would not be comfortable at all. Then we started throwing the handful of blades we had gathered. We finished around the same time, so we couldn’t base off that. So, I turned them back off and we moved closer to inspect who’d gotten the most bullseyes. We’d both reached them with all our knives but hers were almost all perfectly centred whereas mine were more scattered- declaring her the winner.

“Nice one, sis. You’re getting your touch back.”

I ducked as she playfully went to punch me.

“I never lost that touch, King Edmund the Just. Although you should’ve been titled the Sarcastic.”

I snorted at that before helping her remove the knives.

“I think the Sarcastic suits you better, I’ll take the Annoying.”

It only took us a moment before we were rolling on the floor in hysterical laughter. We could rarely joke about things like this so when we did, it was wonderful. 

“What would Pete and Su be then? The Nosey and the Bossy?”

I just shook my head in amusement before getting back up off the ground and placing my knives back. That would’ve been funny. She followed soon after, clearly still attempting to stifle laughter and filing her own away. Once we’d finished, she turned to me this time with a serious expression;

“So, when are you leaving?”

Subconsciously I eyed for a clock which was useless considering we didn’t have any. I bit my lip and said back;

“Soon, probably. I’m going to check with Liam though in case I have anything else that needs to be done first.”

She nodded and gave my hand a gentle squeeze in response. I returned the gesture and brought her in for a tight hug. We pulled away not long after and she headed down to where the bedrooms were whilst I carried on to where Liam was. It was him who dealt with the daily activities, and they changed every few hours. This was done purely strategic. If anyone were to raid us, they would never be able to distinguish a pattern between our day-to-day lives, which made it difficult for them to plan. It was Redbridge who’d came in last night.

I arrived not long after and it became apparent my schedule had not changed. With that, I bid him goodbye and went in search of my older brother and sister. It didn’t take me long to find Susan as she was throwing punches at a dummy in one of the training rooms. She stopped when she heard me come in and she gave me a small smile before returning to her assault. This was all Susan seemed to do nowadays, practise and fight. A few years ago, she would’ve made time to read and t spend time with us, but she preferred isolation now.

I didn’t understand what she was going through, nor did Lucy. It was only Peter who’d ever been truly in love with someone and been ripped apart from them. Of course, Lucy and myself had courted people in Narnia, but neither worked out. My longest had been two years and hers had been three. It was a long courtship and numerous people were waiting on wedding bells to be announced, but that day never came. Lucy’s partner had been a commoner much like Aylene had but didn’t adjust well to royal life. They remained good friends however afterwards. Me though, it was a different story. She was from the Lone Islands (Avra), and she found out her father had betrothed her years prior and didn’t tell her.

I’d expected to feel heartbroken over it, but I didn’t. In a way, I was glad things had worked out that way. After around twenty minutes, I finally found Peter tearing away at a chicken wing in the cafeteria. We still good food often through docks so at least we weren’t starving. We’d gotten used to living on the bare minimum from the rationing system during the war. He offered me one of the wings and I quickly devoured the meat, knowing I wouldn’t be eating much on my journey up north. He clapped me on the back before giving me a warm smile. Then I made my way towards Harrow once more to begin on my journey up to Digory’s.


	9. Seven

~Edmund~

For some reason, I had forgotten how long it took to get to Digory’s estate. Before the city stated warring with itself, we would travel up every few weeks and even occasionally seeing Polly as well. She had moved to Kent so she was a lot closer to us, but Digory was in North Yorkshire. It had taken me three hours to get out of Harrow alone considering I had to go through a security check to ensure I wasn’t a raider. I knew that they didn’t believe me to be, but belief was outweighed by fact in times like this.

I had been questioned heavily but I gave shortened answers, sticking to the kerosene story. At least it was believable, and it was obvious that no one in this faction would use it against us. Most places stuck to getting petrol out of broken down vehicles that littered the streets above the tunnels, hoping that the Citizens didn’t come out to play. Where the name came from, nobody really knew. One day we just started calling the people who refused to divide into factions and instead stay above ground by that. They were barbarous and callous, there was no other way to put it.

Once the higher ups in Harrow deemed me as no threat to them and to confirm I was a part of Finchley, they sent one of their own spies to show me to the tunnels that led out of the city. I concentrated hard here, burning every twist and turn to my memory for the journey back. This was only if we had to come back through this way. I intended to travel through the day and hide at night as that was when the streets were littered with rogues running wild. Desperate for blood, action, killing, innocence, and numerous other things.

It had taken over an hour before the sunlight peeked out through a hole above that seemed tiny and like nothing could fit through it apart from small animals and insects. But when I eyed it closer I almost snorted at the hidden ladder. Very clever. Not many people think to look above and for the non-obvious, so despite it being in plain sight they were hidden from sight. The fellow man whose name I didn’t catch unhooked the latch and slowly lowered the ladder. I gave him a grateful wave after this before climbing into the day for the first time in over two weeks.

There was still a throbbing in my lower calf from where the bullet had edged passed my skin, but I couldn’t show weakness in any way. That would be far too dangerous. Rarely did someone pass the boundaries of London, but it was still a possibility. I had to blink a few times to adjust to the light as I was not used to it. Being outdoors was something I hated in this world as it was so uncertain that you would live. Now, it was a luxury and it really shouldn’t be. I know what living a life of luxury is, I had been a King for fifteen years.

Then it was an hour walk north to a town in Essex where if I was lucky, I would catch a direct train. It was nigh impossible to keep up with travelling changes and advancements being underground so I wasn’t entirely sure if they still ran or not. Unfortunately, I found out the hard way this was not the case. I just had to ask at the ticket stand when the next train to Coombe Halt would be and they snorted. That was until I showed them proof of my residence and their laughter died down.

They eyed me up and down, taking in the numerous scars that littered my body, some not of this world and instead a constant reminder of what once was. Their eyes widened at seeing the rip in my trousers that exposed the bandage underneath. After this, they looked down almost shamefully before saying that I would need to get a train to Leeds and then another that went to my destination. I nodded my head in a thanks before making my way to the platform.

Luckily, those outside of London allowed us free travel if we proved our residence. None of us needed money anymore, all we needed was supplies, determination, and hope. It was nearing 2am when I finally got to Leeds and I decided to get a room to stay in tonight. I didn’t want to arrive at Digory’s at a stupid time. I found somewhere quickly enough and once again after proving where I was travelling from, got me somewhere free of charge. 

I took a long bath but keeping my leg out the water. This was something I missed dearly. We got showers from people who were smart enough to use the rainwater and filter it out. But it was nothing to compare to completely clean and not to mention warm water. It’s amazing how something as simple as a waters temperature can be seen as a luxury. I rarely slept, tossing and turning in anxiety over what tomorrow might bring. 

Who was it that had fell through the chasm? I knew Caspian had as I’d spotted his signet ring and with his hand signing off that quote at the end of the letter. But who else? Digory mentioned that there were ten, so who were the other nine? Were they people we knew? Were they people we’d never met? Were they people who had moved to Narnia from another place in the other world? 

When morning arrived, I was outside faster than a hungry child reaching for food. My stomach grumbled but I wasn’t going to eat until I arrived. There was a line drawn between having the travelling and a place to stay for no cost. I made the journey to the station, ignoring questioning looks over my still noticeable limp. Luckily, there was a train that was headed out to where I was going leaving in around twenty minutes.

Hardly anybody got on the carriage, which wasn’t a surprise. Slowly, people were emigrating to large towns and cites and leaving small towns and villages almost bare. There was a discarded newspaper and I quickly grabbed it, curious as to what was going on outside the bubble that was where I lived. There really wasn’t much interesting in it, but it gave me something to do. It was almost 2pm when I got off the train, and if I remembered correctly it took around forty minutes to walk to the estate from here. 

I kind of wish Mrs Macready was here as that way I could just jump into a wagon the horses pulled. But I wasn’t in a mood to deal with her condescending attitude towards the younger generation nor her ability to nag. However, a lot of it was uphill which was a struggle to most people never mind to someone injured. Despite the pain, I pushed myself on and soon my eyes landed on Digory’s mansion in the distance. A smile came onto my face as I made the final part of my journey.

~Caspian~

Waking up the next day felt weird. It had now been almost two weeks since we had sent the letter. It was any day now we would either be getting a visitor or a reply back. Digory had shown us the way to something called a post office and each day around noon, I made the two mile walk there to see if there was anything new. I’d gotten funny looks at first due to my accent and appearance. I had been quick to realise there wasn’t a large portion of mixed race people here, well, not in the middle of nowhere.

As each day passed, I grew steadily more anxious than I had previously and in my free time I helped out Glenstorm who was still trying to get used to two feet instead of four hooves. For a few days he had subconsciously been walking around on his toes which had amused us all greatly. Trumpkin was doing fine as were the other Narnians though. I could tell it frustrated him greatly, but there wasn’t anything that could be done about it.

I’d woken up early to a bright day outside. I stretched out and let out a small sigh at feeling the crack in my back. I got off the bed and made my way for the book I was currently getting through. This was a history one, of a place called Egypt, and it was morbidly fascinating. It was so different to any traditions I’d ever known about, and the ways of these people surprised me. Even the bodies that had been shown. For some reason I just couldn’t look away.

Once I’d finally gotten through another part I decided to go down to breakfast and to see if the others were awake yet. I’d now memorised this area of the large building so I no longer got lost. Making my way to the dining room in less than five minutes. Toma, Mikian, and Florent were here already. Florent had also been a fawn but like everyone else had turned human after falling through the chasm. I heard voices in the corridor, none of which I recognised which made me assume there was another tour going on. Or at least, that was until the door opened and someone followed in after Digory.

The elderly man looked at us with a twinkle in his eyes before stepping aside, revealing a young male who easily broke the six foot barrier, numerous scars littering his body, muscles bulging underneath his skin, and a slightly cocky grin on his face. He let out a deep chuckle and I realised now I’d forgotten what his voice sounded like. Before I knew it, I was rising off my seat and running towards him. Edmund laughed before opening his arms for a tight hug.

“I expected you all to have died hundreds of years ago.”

It was meant as both a statement and a joke. The one time Edmund had been away from his Kingdom for a year, over a millennia had passed. So obviously he would’ve assumed the same had applied this time around since it had now been five years. The time thing boggled my mind often, and this was enough of a realisation that there was no way to find out how much time had passed. Had a few weeks went by in Narnia since we’d been gone? Had it been months? Had it been years?

At times I felt like a massive failure, essentially abandoning my people and leaving them without guidance despite there being no way to stop it. There was only one person who could reverse Aslan’s will and that was Aslan himself. But Aslan was not of this world, he went by a different name, a name I did not know. Still, most nights I prayed that he kept my people and Kingdom safe in my absence as I don’t know how long I am going to be in this world for.

“So, tell me what happened exactly.”

I opened my mouth to speak but Toma had beaten me to it;

“It was storming badly, I doubt either of us got to sleep until the early hours. We somehow fell asleep and when we awoke, we were in some kind of grassy field. We wandered around and eventually found here, King Edmund.”

I caught his mouth twitch a little at his title. Or one of his titles. It was very minimal so I doubt anyone else noticed it but me. He knew it too as he shot a subtle glance in my direction.

“Ok, first things first. You cannot call myself or my siblings by our Narnian titles here. Second, it is odd the chasm opened in the way that it did. Not just because it opened the opposite way, but any of us who have been through one, we were conscious.”

I hadn’t considered this fact. Once again, I was stunned into silence with Edmund’s uncanny ability to analyse in such minute detail in almost no time. My friends were clearly impressed by the observation. They’d all met Edmund, some enough for a chat and others quick enough for a hello. 

“And you, sit down and eat something. You must be starving, I’m guessing you’ve been travelling all night?”

He rolled his eyes playfully and obeyed the elderly mans orders. As I took him in, I realised just how bad of a state the city must be in. His clothing was covered in holes, his face almost sucked in, and it was clear his body was littered with more battle wounds than I remembered. And he already had dozens, maybe hundreds of wounds previously. I also spotted a tiny hiss of pain escape his lips as he edged himself in to sit down beside me. Telling me he wasn’t in the best of shape currently.

The other people at the table aside from Digory and myself were looking at him with an awed expression. He was literally a living legend to them. Workers brought food out to us and we didn’t hesitate to tuck in. Once we’d finished however, I turned to face my old friend who gave me a beaming smile in response. We never thought we would see each other again yet here we were next to each other. When he turned away to speak to someone else on the table, I quickly analysed his body for what had caused his pain. It took me a good minute but I soon located a bandage just below his knee.

“What happened to your leg?”

He froze abruptly at that and turned to face me. I couldn’t tell if he was more proud at my observation or annoyed by it. He’s stubborn, both he and his brother are and neither like having injuries shown. This was clearly the case this time. Digory checked to see what I was getting at and as soon as he did, he gave the younger male a stern look, causing the King of Old to redden in embarrassment. 

“I echo Caspian on this, Edmund.”

Now he was outnumbered. He knew there was no way out of it so he had to answer the question and not brush it off.

“I got shot a few days ago but it’s still healing.”

I frowned at this, didn’t he say that arrows weren’t used in this world for that purpose anymore?

“What size of bullet are we talking here, Edmund? And are you certain nothing serious was hit?”

What in Aslan’s country was a bullet? It seemed all us Narnians and Telmarines had the same thought process as we looked at each other quizzically. Edmund replied something along the lines of him not seeing it and it came from a raid on an area called Redbridge. How could one city have so many districts? Were any in a true alliance with one another? Somehow I doubted it. I’ve been told on numerous occasions that this world was violent but just how violent was it?

“A bullet comes from a weapon called a gun. They are small metallic things that are projected at incredible speeds and it probably isn’t possible to outrun one unless you jump out of its path. Think about it like an arrowhead being shot instead of a full arrow and being imbedded in something. It’s difficult to get out and it takes a while to recover.”

Ah, that was that question answered then. Digory asked him once again if he was sure all remnants had been taken out and that nothing serious was punctured as o which Edmund playfully rolled his eyes and replied something along the line of Lucy miraculously missing something. I almost snorted at that because Lucy never missed anything regarding injuries and she was blunt about how bad one was. If she didn’t think there was anything to worry about, then there probably was nothing to worry about. It became clear that Digory was like a second father figure to the Pevensie’s in that second. 

“So, what is happening then? Are we here to help or just to see this world?”

At Florent’s question, Edmund’s face fell in realisation. He seemed to be in deep thought and it was no surprise that he had that look on his face that made him appear a decade older and also taller. Neither of us spoke as he carefully thought out the predicament, his mind obviously in a frazzle over everything.

“I don’t have an exact answer I’m afraid. Honestly, I’m just as confused as you all are on this matter. I’m assuming your thought process is correct, Florent is it?”

The fawn-turned-human nodded at that.

“However, I’m not comfortable with you all being in the city to help out. This world is a lot more violent than Narnia, Calormene, Archenland, possibly combined. This is something that needs to be decided over a few days and not one afternoon.”

I thought he would say something like that. I opened my mouth to say something but he shot me a harsh glare that shut me up immediately. I knew better than to argue with someone who had spent however many years in a world I knew almost nothing about. So, with an annoyed grunt I agreed with him in the matter. Digory told him a room was ready for him and the younger nodded his head before shakily standing up. It was obvious just how much pain he was actually in as his face contorted in on itself. I eyes the bandage wrapped tight around his leg and spotted some red coming through, telling me he had jostled it in some way to get here. Everyone else left the room but we were now alone.

“How bad is it really, Edmund? You almost never show pain.”

He sighed deeply before slowly putting weight on his injured leg to test it out. He was obviously weak.

“I can’t do that in Narnia, Caspian. Think about it, if you saw the ruler of another country obviously in pain, wouldn’t you see it as a statement that they’re losing?”

He left after that, me with my mouth hanging open in understanding. He was correct with that notion. It would be a weakness for the leader o the other country to show anything but strength and courage. But here, Edmund wasn’t a leader, just a young man who had his life ahead of him. There was no shame in him showing these types of emotions anymore so he didn’t hide them. Weaknesses can sometimes give that person an advantage, but this was not one of those cases. After a couple of moments, I rushed after him with a new perspective.


	10. Eight

~Caspian~

If you saw the ruler of another country obviously in pain, wouldn’t you see it as a statement that they’re losing?

There was one thing I despised about Edmund Pevensie. I might consider him a very good friend but I cannot deny that there was one thing about him that irked me. In fact, there were many things now that I thought about it. One was his uncanny ability to see right through someone. The second being how logical he always was and seemingly always had evidence to back it up. The third being his vagueness towards certain things. Oh Aslan, he wasn’t even vague, mostly he was straight up brutally blunt.

These were normally qualities that a lot of people wished they possessed, and wished they could use on a daily basis for the better good. Not all three though, because it always left a headache in its wing. That was certainly the case right now. Digory ordered him to get his leg seen to immediately. I won’t deny it was borderline amusing watching an ancient sovereign being bossed around by an elderly man. Then I remembered he was no sovereign here, he held no titles here. 

That was going to take some serious getting used to.

His straightforward words were circling in my head and I hated how right he was with it. It wasn’t just him either, Peter was the same. And if I had any gold on me currently I would be more than willing to bet the sisters were the same. I’d seen them all be sorely injured yet refusing to show any signs of weakness. One time in particular stuck out to me, the duel Peter had with my uncle. They had been some of the tensest moments of the entire day, and I knew a small part of that came from the slightly younger’s admittance to me.

The words left him with almost no emotion whatsoever. However, I was the same. Just for an entirely different reason. I was stunned into complete silence and it felt like I had swallowed a rock that had gotten stuck in my throat. He had spoken so sincerely and didn’t skip a beat once. Also, his tone was completely level which confirmed he was serious about this, and it wasn’t simply a rash decision.

In those few moments as I watched him continue putting on his armour with practised ease, my respect for him grew to a level I didn’t know existed. His motives now made sense to me. He seen us Telmarines as a threat because it was our own invasion almost 1300 years prior that caused this. It had taken years for my people to settle in Narnia as the locals certainly put up a fight. In fact, if what was documented in history was correct, it had taken almost a decade before my ancestor Caspian the Conquerer was in the picture. 

Once he was though, it was a lost cause for Narnia. Deep down, the High King probably loathed my ancestors to a boiling point because either of them could’ve easily harmed his wife or children. I shuddered solely at the thought. Now that I thought about it, that was actually likely. Still, Peter said no words as he finally pulled on a scarlet red tunic with the golden lion embroidered into the front over his armour. 

Now, he moved onto his legs and once again he clipped everything into place perfectly. His entire body was covered head to toe in gleaming silver armour. Despite his confession of not being scared to die at all, it became clear from the amount he was wearing that he was not going to give up prior. His wife and children meant a lot to him, but his countries cause meant just as much to him. This was his home, his life, and he wasn’t going to throw it away so easily.

Once he’d finally finished in putting on all his armour, he looked up towards me and took in my attire himself. It wasn’t even confirmed yet if this duel was going ahead, but Peter just seemed to know. He joked something along the lines of Edmund using his quick wit to force my uncle into accepting. There was only a couple of things that would make Miraz agree to this and they were either humiliation, or a challenge of his power, maybe even a mixture of both.

But Edmund didn’t know that, so a part of me felt this entire thing was futile. Was there any point in preparing for something that might not take place? However, I bit my tongue and kept my thoughts to myself. It was useless though as Peter had clearly figured out my hesitation.

“You don’t know my brother well, Caspian. There is a reason Edmund was the designated spy all those years ago with us. He’s sneaky, and he has a way of knowing things long before they happen. He is also very persuasive. There is no doubt at all in my mind that he will make your uncle be in a situation where he cannot refuse. I know you doubt me, and that is ok. However, do not doubt me on this.”

I couldn’t bite my lip anymore and blurted out;

“But what if he sees through it and does refuse, your Majesty?”

I expected him to glare at me or to look at me like I was lower than him. Which I was, he was the legendary High King of Old whereas I was the Prince of now. This didn’t happen, instead he shot me a curious glance.

“I understand your doubts, your Highness. But I’m asking you to be honest with me here, it is possible I have misread the situation in some way. Do you really think someone who would murder his brother to take their throne, then try to kill their nephew to secure the throne for his own son, would like a wounded pride?”

I almost retorted back but as I thought over his words more, my mouth slowly closed. How did both he and his brother have this ability to know exactly how people operated? It was both amazing and slightly terrifying. 

“Now that you’ve explained King Peter, I now know why you are so confident this is happening. Speaking of which, when do you think your Royal brother will be back?”

A knocking in the door broke us out of our talk and Queen Lucy’s voice yelled through to let us know Miraz had accepted the challenge and was getting prepared as we spoke. I at least had the grace to blush when King Peter gave me a look basically saying that he had already told me. We both walked out now and I followed the siblings close. I was surprised that the youngest Queen was not getting ready for battle, especially considering her knife throwing skills. Was it just knives she threw or was it other things as well?

I didn’t have time to think this over as soon we were in the main gathering room. I spotted a young centaur trot over to Peter almost timidly with his helmet in hand. The seventeen-year-old smiled and bent down to his height so he could slide it over his head. I also spotted him hand over a leather bracelet that signified what herd he belonged to, and it was a massive honour to be given one. Centaurs were known to be proud creatures, and it was also known that they rarely allowed someone to join their herds.

So what was seen as simply gratuity, it signified a whole lot more. This was them showing the legendary King they believed in him and they considered him an equal. King Peter clearly saw this too as he himself removed something from his finger and handed the young colt it in exchange. Now this was something I hadn’t expected to see, and it became clear that those who were watching the exchange were shocked at it too. By Peter doing that, he was showing his people that despite his title separating them, he considered himself an equal. 

That was something you did not see in Telmarines and I knew immediately that if we win this war it was something I wanted implemented into everyday life. King, Queen, Prince, Princess, Lord, Lady, and many more. We were all the same- people. Edmund appeared soon after and I froze in alarm that he was clearly ready for battle. He wasn’t fighting though, so why was he? Again, he seemed to read my mind and retorted that there was no way he trusted my people to stick to the terms of the challenge. 

I really had nothing to say to that, because I knew as well as he did that he was correct. That meant this battle was happening either today or early tomorrow. With the thought in mind, I retreated to my own chambers to get my own armour on. Mine was a lot lighter than what the Narnians wore. Theirs were built more for strength whereas ours were built to be more agile. Right now, I had no idea what one would be more beneficiary. 

Edmund grabbed Rhindon, his shield, and a spare sword just in case. As we headed outside, I overheard the excited colt raving about how it was he who had shared such an important moment with the High King. I eyed what it was he had given him and I stared in shock that it was his signet ring. That was such an important piece of jewellery and it appeared this thought had not crossed the young centaurs mind yet. 

Once we were outside, I froze at the people already stationed at their posts for battle. This only seemed to solidify that this was indeed happening soon. I hope we do win, and hopefully no more casualties than necessary. Our army was a fraction the size of the Telmarine army, but I knew myself that numbers don’t win battles. But there is no denying they certainly help. I eyed the area that was roughly in the centre between the two camps, gulping in the process.

My uncle was a very skilled warrior, and I had yet to see King Peter in full action mode. All I have seen so far had been him practising and even then it was impressive. But everyone has weaknesses, and I hoped it wasn’t my uncle who spotted the weakness first. To the death. One of them is dying today, and soon. If Peter loses, the war has been won. If Miraz loses, the war will be coming to an end in the form of a bloodbath that wasn’t guaranteed a win for our side. 

Please, Aslan, let us win. 

It seemed like only a few seconds had passed before the representatives walked into the area that had been cordoned off to briefly talk over the conditions, although they both knew the conditions would not be stuck to. Then they backed away, neither of them taking their eyes off each other. Too scared to walk straight in case they got stabbed in the back- literally. Then the two brothers walked forward. Some words were exchanged between the challengers and despite the distance I caught the look of glee on my uncles face. He was probably thinking to himself that he had struck gold because of how young Peter was.

Well, he was about to eat a slice of humble pie, possibly with a sword stuck in his body soon. Peter slid down his visor to only leave enough space for him to see, slipping his arm into his shield and pulling Rhindon from its sheath. I watched the opponent sneer in surprise at the incredible weapon. I knew that Peter was acquainted with Telmarine fighting methods. I had learned from Edmund they had some run ins all those years ago, near the start of their reign. Then they stepped into the makeshift ring.

At first, neither did anything. They sized each other up, looking for weaknesses already to play it to ones own advantage. Deciding where the best places for a blow would be. Then it happened. I wasn’t aware who had made the first swing, but within seconds my Usurper uncle and the legendary High King were just a blurry of steel. My mouth fell open in shock at the speed and precision, and I allowed a small swell of pride at spotting my uncle clearly stumble from the ferocious counterattacks. 

It was impossible to tell who was currently winning, and that bothered me massively. If only we could get that bit closer. But we couldn’t, we had to stay at a reasonable distance. They moved all around the ring, their feet as light as feathers and their blows as powerful as a strike of lightning. Then it happened. Peter misplaced his footing for a second. And it was a second too long. Miraz took the opportunity and tripped him up, forcing Peter to fall onto his back.

A lot of terrified gasps broke through from my fellow Narnians and I spotted Edmund covering his mouth in shock. No, he can’t lose. Not after everything. Miraz then stomped down onto his shield, which clearly dislocated the joint. Rendering the arm useless. But he still had Rhindon. With a calculated and unexpected swing, he opened a gash on Miraz’s knees and the elder fell with a clear scowl on his face. Some words were exchanged between them but I couldn’t hear a thing.

“They’ve called a respite and will continue in a few minutes.”

How did he? Oh, he must’ve lip read them. How did he do that from so far away though? Peter got to his feet and it became clear my suspicions were correct as his arm lay limp against his side. His brother glared at him when he sat down on a large rock and I forced myself to ignore him saying that even if he did die he would be reunited with his loved ones. It might be the one thing he wants desperately, but what he wants he cannot get without his country falling. 

I winced when Edmund grabbed hold of his arm and forced him forward at a strangle angle. The bones audibly cracked under the force and he swung it back and forth to make sure he had gotten it back into place correctly. It would need to be bandaged up later anyway as it would be weak. Then he did something I did not expect, nor did anyone else except perhaps his siblings. He turned around, raised Rhindon in the air, and smiled triumphantly. A deafening cheer from our side broke the silence.

“Some things never change, even after so many years.”

I swung around in my spot and I blinked in surprise that I had been wandering around whilst in deep thought. I was on a balcony on what appeared to be the third floor of the estate, numerous acres of land and forest ahead of me. I eyed Edmund out the corner of my eye who soon leaned against the railing himself. I quickly glanced down to his injured leg and sighed in relief that he had indeed gotten it seen to, but I also spotted he was trying not to put too much pressure on it, telling me that it was painful.

“What do you mean by that, Ed?”

He sighed deeply and faced me for a moment. Despite him having no titles here, there was no denying the regality in his mannerisms. His eyes once again holding that stare that showed just how old and experienced he was. 

“I notice things, mostly stuff people don’t even realise they do subconsciously. Whenever you appeared to have a lot on your mind, you retreated to somewhere high and in solitude.”

I rolled my eyes fondly as he was definitely correct with that statement. 

“Why do you think the chasm opened this way? Be honest with me.”

He shot me a look as if to say ‘when have I not been honest with you’, but he didn’t audibly say this. He breathed deeply and I watched him look around the area with an expression I hadn’t seen. It appeared to be a mixture of happiness and melancholy. 

“I think you are all correct in the assumption that you were brought here to help us out. Nobody else in the country would give a rats arse to be honest, they just keep to themselves. I’m certain they think that because the capital has fall into this revolutionary state that they will also be brought to the same ending. However, if that was the case, the fighting wouldn’t be contained to the city only.”

I nodded along with him, and I sensed the but in his speech.

“But we cannot change people’s thought process. We can influence it, but never ultimately alter it. There is a population of around eight million in the city, Caspian, it’s not a small number. It used to be a lot more but with the war previously and now this, it’s dropped drastically. We need help, and I don’t doubt you can give us some help. It doesn’t mean I’m pleased about it though as this world is a lot more advanced than anywhere in- “

He didn’t need to continue because I knew what he meant. He would fight for his people any day, but he’s not comfortable in his people fighting for him. Neither of us spoke for quite some time, simply enjoying the quiet that surrounded us.

“How are you all then? And how does the city operate exactly?”

He gestured me inside and I followed him to a part of the manor I hadn’t been to before. Or if I had, I couldn’t remember it. But he knew this place well, probably knew of secret passages. He led me into a room and I realised this was where Digory was allowing him to stay. Beside the bed were a few books and cloth so he could change the bandage. 

He had no shame in stripping down in front of me, pulling on a pair of trousers and leaving his torso bare. I stared at the scars for a few moments before he sat down on the bed, signalling me to do so as well.

“We’re about as good as we can be considering the circumstances. Peter is just Peter. He’s still heartbroken over Aylene and the kids which is understandable, but he’s no longer angry at every little thing. I’ve not changed much at all, honestly. Lucy, she’s deadlier than you remember her being. She won’t hesitate to get in on the fighting nor will she hesitate to kill despite her hating it. Susan though, she’s changed. And not for the better.”

I frowned at this and ignored the slight skip in my heartbeat. What did he mean? Sweet Susan changing for the worse?

“You remember what Peter was like. Bitter at everyone and everything. Refusing to let anyone in. Making rash decisions due to bitter hatred towards something that was out of his control. They’ve almost switched places now. She’s rarely not training, and when she isn’t the people in Finchley back away from her. She’s built up a reputation around herself to not mess with her unless you want to face the consequences. The only person who can talk sense into her is Peter, as he knows what it’s like to lose someone you love.”

The whole time he spoke, he refused to look away from me. I repeated his words back in my head multiple times before the penny dropped. She harboured feelings for me as well. Much like myself though, she refused to act upon them until the last second. The way her lips had touched mine for a split second before she walked through the chasm never to return.

“As to how the city runs, it’s difficult to explain. Genuinely, I think you’d need to see it operate yourself to fully understand. Anyway, enough of that, how has Narnia been? You’d better be ruling her well now we cannot see.”

I chuckled at the demanding tone in his voice. Even though he can’t set foot in the land he was a King in, he still wanted to know. I told him everything. How we’d taken back the Lone Islands, secured a strong alliance with Archenland, but were still having troubles with Calormen. Edmund snorted at this, neither of us believed we would ever be on decent terms with them. If we ever were it wouldn’t be for a very long time.

“So, how old are you guys now? It’s been five years in Narnia but I’m not entirely certain how long has passed here, just a rough guess from what Digory has told us.”

He sighed a little but it became clear it wasn’t one out of boredom or annoyance.

“Peter is twenty-two, Susan is twenty-one, I’m nineteen, and Lucy is seventeen. Although thankfully nobody looks down on us for our ages anymore, I don’t know how much more of that I could’ve taken. Especially because mentally I’m thirty-four, had I not been de-aged that is. It’s frustrating.”

I only hummed in response because I could only imagine what that was like.

“Anyway, I think we’ve spoken enough. We will all need to talk over the next couple of days and decide what to do. I won’t have my people risk their lives if they aren’t fully aware what they are getting themselves in to. But I won’t stop any of you from coming. We need all the help we can get, even if it’s only one extra person.”


	11. Nine

~Edmund~

Much to Digory’s dismay, he knew as well as I did that I could not stay for much longer. It had been five days since I had arrived and that was already longer than I intended to stay. I know why I had waited, because I didn’t want to leave here. Each day, I walked through the estate- mostly alone- in reminiscence. It felt weird knowing that this peaceful life was one I had lived for months and had for a small amount of time after the war ended. I can still remember the first attack well, it had been from Walthamstow. They were close to where we were in Finchley, but still far enough away that it wasn’t obvious. The only thing that gave them away was we captured one of the attackers and used brute force until they told us where they came from. 

A large bang awoke me from my deep sleep. I sat up on instinct developed over multiple years and without thinking, reached for my sword. But I came up empty handed. That was when I remembered I was back in London and no longer in Narnia. With the thought, I put the bang down to my imagination and closed my eyes, intending to fall asleep again, when a second bang echoed. This time, I was wide awake.

That was no normal bang. I knew them well enough from the bombings that were inflicted here to know this was not a bomb. Which was a good thing as we were no longer at war. It had ended for good ten months ago, but we had been home for a year as that was when the air attacks stopped here. But I still recognised that bang well, that was a gunshot. It was impossible to tell what type it had came from, but it had been close. 

I scrambled out of bed and eyed my still sleeping brother. I looked around the dorm room we shared and groaned in irritation. I hated being back in school, I already knew most of everything I was being taught. It was just the more science related and history stuff I didn’t know. A third bang pierced the air like a freshly sharpened knife and with the thought in mind, I ran over towards Peter and began shaking him. He groaned in response;

“Ed, it’s not time to wake up- “

He was cut off from a fourth gunshot. This woke him up and he eyed me incredulously. Wondering where it was coming from. I knew one thing, we had to get out of here, and now. We grabbed our essentials and made sure to grab some pocket knives we had snuck in. From force of habit, neither of us slept without some kind of weapons under our pillows. They were a far cry from either a broadsword or a duelling sword, but they made do. 

We quickly got dressed and looked outside, I spotted a few other boys peeking their heads out of their own rooms in confusion. I glanced to my brother again and we stared at one another. Our silent conversations always freaked people out but we simply always said it had been a force of habit. We couldn’t tell them exactly that it had been a Minotaur who taught us how to read a persons eyes to know exactly what they were thinking. 

“Everyone, get down into the shelters, we’ll look to find the issue.”

Whether it was them realising we weren’t at all fazed by this or them still being half-asleep, they didn’t say anything. Slowly, they started to file out in an orderly manner, them thinking this was another bombing clearly. The fact that these types of procedures were second-nature saddened me greatly. There were no more bangs the next ten minutes as we made sure everyone in the dorms were safely escorted to the shelters under the school. By now, some of them were fully aware and they shouted at us as we went back out. 

The teachers weren’t in at the weekends, so there weren’t going to be many other people inside the school. That was both an advantage and a disadvantage. Peter and myself knew where knives were kept. Of course, we would both prefer a sword or even a bow, but we didn’t have access to those here so we had to settle for something else. Once in the kitchens, we grabbed two knives each, all being nine inches in length approximately.

We stored them in the back of our trousers, the blades flat against our backs. The loose cotton covering them perfectly. Despite my hands craving to feel a leather hilt, somehow feeling the cold metal against my skin was comforting. We slowly moved through the building, looking out of windows to find out if the gunshots were inside or outside. I doubted they were inside as the building was under extreme security and only workers and students knew how to get inside.

It was difficult to know as the gunshots had seemingly stopped by now, but I knew it was likely just a distraction. Was it maybe a gang thing or something along those lines? It wouldn’t surprise me, North London was notorious for these types of things. Then there was another bang and we snapped our heads outside, finally realising it was coming from outside. With the thought in mind, we ran down the rest of the stairs and bolted for the front door, our makeshift weapons still tightly in place. 

Now we were outside, the noise was as clear as the Eastern Ocean. People were screaming, people were running, and I could hear fighting. We looked at one another and darted onwards to where it was coming from. Out the corner of my eye, I spotted a knife coming straight for me but I ducked on time. This kind of thing was so natural to me that I didn’t even pause as I done so. When we rounded the corner, I felt my mouth drop open in shock.

It was a bloodbath.

There had to be at least twenty people lying on the ground with deep scarlet blood pooling around them. Peter was clearly just as shocked as I was as his hand was covering his mouth in shock. A few feet ahead of us there were still people struggling. I didn’t hesitate in running towards it, trying to figure out what was going on. I ignored the disgusting noise that came with running through blood. It was a noise I knew well, but it was never one I had gotten used to. 

Nobody seemed to notice us as kids, just as people trying to help. I knew that was likely down to them being so adrenaline buzzed that they weren’t paying attention to anyone or anything around them. Solely concentrating on what was happening. An older man spotted me and he gave me a sadistic smile before walking towards me. He clearly expected me to turn away or run, but he didn’t know I’ve fought at the head of a battle and commanded armies before. I was anything but scared of one man.

“Should you not be tucked up tight in bed, kid?”

I looked down sheepishly to give him the illusion of me being scared, which worked. A moment later, he was charging toward me but at the last second I darted out the way and grabbed my knives, one in each hand. My stance was fitted for duelling swords but I doubted he knew that as hardly anyone in this world fought with swords anymore. Then he looked in my eyes and I think the playful smirk I now had coated on my face told him I was serious. 

Despite this, he clearly still thought my age was a disadvantage. He pulled out a knife himself and charged. I easily slipped out the path of the blade and thrust myself. This clearly shocked him and I spotted sweat beads forming on his forehead. Behind me, I heard someone running forward but at the last second I turned and thrust my knife forward, ignoring the sound of the metal plunging into his gut. I pulled it out and focused on the other guy who now looked like he could piss himself any second. 

He clearly didn’t expect me to be able to stab someone and feel little to no repercussions. Then I launched my attack. I had to give him some credit, for someone who didn’t know these moves he was holding off decently. I made certain to not actually cut into him. Eyeing my brother a few metres away who was cutting through people like they were paper. He caught my glance and nodded towards me. There were very few people left who were obviously insinuating the attack and I spotted some running away, understanding defeat. Then Peter snuck up behind who I was fighting with and he placed the knife directly over his throat.

“Where are you from? And why are you attacking?”

He tried o turn around but got nowhere due to where the blade was. He knew that one wrong move would end his life.

“Fuck you!”

“The only person here who is fucked is yourself. You don’t tell us, my brother won’t hesitate to slice your throat. You tell us, and you will be getting punished wherever you’re from. So what would you rather? Life or death, it’s your choice.”

He gulped loudly and people were now surrounding us, clearly impressed with how calm we were throughout and with our quick wit. More sweat beads formed on his forehead and he closed his eyes, gulping loudly. I saw a tiny trickle of blood form on his neck from the tiny movement. Neither of us let up our stances or gazes, looks we had worn on dozens of occasions. Finally, he opened his eyes and spoke;

“Walthamstow, we were just given orders to carry out the attack. I don’t know why we had to but they threatened to take our homes away if we didn’t.”

The entire time I analysed his face in minute detail, determining if he was being honest or not. Once it became clear to me he was, I nodded my head towards Peter who immediately dropped his arm. He fell to the ground dramatically and clutching his throat. I knew myself how uncomfortable it felt having something sharp pressed against there. Now, we both looked up to take in everyone around us. They were all looking at us with awed expressions and a few moments later, started thanking us for helping.

I never found out if that was the first attack, I just knew it was one of the first. It certainly was for Finchley. We let the man go and I never heard anything about him afterwards which didn’t surprise me considering the city’s population. Around a week after this we heard that Bexley was attacked by Croydon. It started a domino effect and only a few months later the factions were born. 

“Penny for your thoughts?”

A smile broke onto my face at the strong Telmarine accent. It was something I usually said to him, a saying in our world he thought was hilarious. He walked over beside me and waited patiently for me to fill him in. He listened with rapt attention, trying to take in as much as he possibly could. It’s difficult adapting to another world, and I knew for him it was considerably harder than it had been for me. The first time we set foot in Narnia, it was somewhat similar to medieval England. But for him it was like he had stepped hundreds of years into the future. 

“Let us help you. No, it isn’t going to stop it, Ed, but we do want to at least do something.”

I closed my eyes and breathed deeply, thinking of how to word the conclusion I had come to with Digory.

“I will not stop you from coming. However, myself and Digory agreed that at least one person should stay as an outsider. You know yourself how useful outsiders are.”

He hummed lowly in his throat as he considered my proposition.

“Mikian, definitely. He’s not a fighter, but he is a good persuader. I’ll bring it up to him the next time I see him. So, when are you leaving?”

I hadn’t decided that yet. I knew I couldn’t stay for much longer because I was a head trainer and one of our designated spies. I was quite an important figure in the faction. No, it wasn’t as important as a King, but considering this city’s ways it was not far off it. 

“Let Mikian know, and also ask if there is anyone else who would like to remain as an outsider as well. Then we need to find out peoples roles and also something that will tie in with my story to have gotten out. We cannot have anyone getting suspicious. Once this is done, we will leave.”

Silence ensued as I spoke. In this world, neither of us had a title to overrule one another. Never mind that, our titles were the same so even then we couldn’t overrule one another. Despite this, I still felt like I could. He was definitely walking into this blind. I can’t stop him or any of the others, but I do not like it one bit. But I know Caspian, and the others who will without a doubt come. They’re stubborn, and I can’t deny they would use the “not a royal here” line. 

Yes, to them I was their King as was Caspian. However they were coming to their senses and getting to know the ways of this world. We stayed there for approximately another ten minutes before heading towards the library. This was where we spent most of our time and I spotted Mikian and Glenstorm sitting in here. It shocked me at first to see the centaur as a human, but he was getting used to it. It was clothing he found weird still.

The pair immediately went to stand up at seeing us but they thought better of it and sat back down. I wasted no time in telling them and I watched Mikian’s eyes widening as I described just how violent the city was. Until now I only told them the bare minimum as I didn’t want to freak them out too much. But now that it was happening, they needed to know as much as possible. I waited in silence as I took in his reaction to our proposition.

“I’m not a fighter, and I’m also not good with planning. But I don’t want to sit here and not do anything.”

I had a feeling that was going to be his response. It caught Caspian off guard and he eyed me carefully out the corner of his eye. I watched shock coat his face as he realised I expected this.

“I hear you’re an avid artist, is this true?”

I watched his face light up at that and then he went on a small rant over how different brushes give a different effect. He would get along amazingly with Lucy. As soon as he realised what he was doing, his face reddened in embarrassment. This turned to confusion as he spotted the slight smirk I wore on my face.

“I expected that response. I have one more option for you. We don’t have people with a good memory nor an ability to accurately record something. How would you feel about being somebody who created maps and helped design tunnels?”

For a few moments, he quietly thought through this. I already knew his answer from his body language, but I wanted audible confirmation. No words were spoken during this, and I was going to honour that. 

“Yes. As much as I would love to sit and sketch scenery, I can’t do much with that. If I can use my craft to aid, then I want to do it.”

I gave him a simple nod in response before standing up. I looked to Glenstorm and he understood what I was trying to convey to him. 

“I’ll round up everyone and see who wants to help out. We will meet in the morning.”


	12. Ten

~Edmund~

They didn’t know that I had done it, the only person who did know was Digory. Three days ago, we sent a letter to my siblings to let them know we would probably be coming back as a group. As much as I detested the idea of them coming with me considering their lack of knowledge, there was no denying it. But I needed them to confirm my thoughts from their own decisions and not feeling like they had to follow me simply because I was one of their Kings. 

It had been years since I had last been treated with such a high authority, and I cannot deny that it felt strange. I may hold a lot of authority in Finchley, but ruling a country was something completely different. I didn’t sleep much that night, perusing over a copy of the letter I had sent down to my siblings. On it in our own code we had developed in Narnia for official documentation out of fear of interception, was a plan. 

They were all going to help no matter what. Getting out of London alone was a massive task in itself, but getting in to London with a group of foreigners was nigh impossible. This had to be planned in utmost perfection. Not a single detail could be missed or not be on time because it would ruin the entire operation. Instead of coming back in via Harrow, I deducted along with Digory it would be safest to go in via Hillingdon. It was nearby but the faction was almost deserted. The last I heard from them was months ago. If the rumours were true, they attempted to create a bomb and it exploded prematurely, killing and maiming the majority. 

Therefore the chances of us being attacked by them was almost zero. Then from there we were going to Ealing, then to Fulham, to Chelsea, Westminster, Camden, Haringey, and finally Finchley. It was a much longer journey but it would be the safest. Lucy was going to meet us in Ealing to help us sneak into Citizen territory, Peter was going to help us get through them, and Susan was going to get us back into Finchley. Three people to help might seem minuscule, but I knew my siblings. We’ve been faced with worse odds than that and won before. 

Still, it didn’t keep me from tossing and turning for most of the night. I think in total I had gotten two hours of sleep which was nowhere near enough to function, but it had to do. I had already wasted enough time here. That morning, I ran downstairs and met Digory already seated at the table along with Caspian’s good friend Toma. For a moment, it appeared as though he was going to stand up to honour me, but he caught himself at the last second. Out of everyone, it was he and Glenstorm who were taking this the most serious.

Out of the ten who were here, two had opted to remain as outsiders like I had suggested. Everyone else had been assigned roles and we had also come up with a plan to cover their accents. For the Telmarines, we said they had moved here from Southern Spain years prior for work opportunities. Those who weren’t, we said they were travellers and therefore had mixed accents. It was risky, the entire thing was, but it was the best we had. 

Slowly, the others appeared and we dug into the delicious food. I felt my body disagreeing immediately as anxiety ebbed away deep inside of me, a feeling I was well accustomed to. At least by now my wound had healed up. It was still scabbed badly and I had a slight limp but nowhere near as bad as it had been when I first arrived. Once we had finished, Digory pulled out a map that showed the districts of London. They weren’t as large anymore due to the limited numbers of tunnels, but it gave an idea. 

I explained that we were going to come in from the west of the city, which lead Trumpkin to make a sarcastic jab over my title. When I was coronated, I was also named the Lord of the Western Woods. I simply smirked quietly before showing them the areas we were going through. Florent- who was remaining here- asked why we were not going back in the same way. I eyed Glenstorm and he responded with the correct answer. It was always a stupid move to backtrack ones steps over such a dangerous mission. 

That seemed to shut him up. There was a thick air surrounding everyone as they all realised that I wasn’t kidding. There is a high risk that one will at least get seriously injured. I just had to trust in myself, my siblings, and god. I wasn’t going to say that out loud in front of them as I don’t want to confuse them with the religious parallel between Earth and Narnia. Numerous questions were fired my way and I was glad when the Macready came in with a large box filled with weapons.

Neither of them were Digory’s prized possessions that hung on the walls, but they were weapons. I still had my gun and a few knives, but we had to be fully prepared for this. I had deliberately asked that no modern mechanisms were to be gathered and solely knives, axes, and multiple other types of blades. Throwing too much on them at once will freak them out. I know from experience what that is like and it does not end well. Luckily, he had arranged transport for us all so we wouldn’t need to take trains south or worry about money considering they would have to pay fares. 

He also gave me a map that showed the best ways to get into Hillingdon considering it was a faction I wasn’t well acquainted with. They were one of the ones that kept to themselves much like Croydon and Kensington. Going in through Chelsea was going to be difficult because of this as it was only a couple of hundred yards away from Kensington’s stronghold. Unlike the other factions, they opted to build up and out, it now being akin to a fortress and they always had someone on patrol.

It would add more time to the journey but safety automatically comes first. They were still my people and they were under my protection currently, crown or no crown. I made sure to run the plan through with them again, but I deliberately left out that my siblings were going to help. Honestly, I just want to see Caspian’s reaction. Especially towards Susan. It was no secret that the pair shared a romance of sorts, and I saw how crushed my sister was. She tried to hold it together and to show it didn’t bother her like her multiple suitors in our reign, but her sniffles at night confirmed it.

Peter was also well aware, as he had been in her position. In fact, for him it had been a whole lot worse. He and Aylene had been married for almost thirteen years. Then there was my nephews and niece. I never told him, she had sworn me to secrecy on it as she wanted to surprise him. A few days prior to us hunting for the white stag, she found out she was expecting again. I missed the kids. Arlo was very much like myself and we used to go riding in our free time. Then there was Carrie who constantly asked for Tumnus to take her out on his boat, having an adventurous streak about her. Then there was Haldon who was a shadow of Peter. 

It already crushed him massively when he finally realised the chasm had closed behind us and every night I could hear him crying. Desperately trying to hide his sobs with his pillow. For weeks, Susan had been the same. She shared a dorm with Lucy much like Peter and me despite our ages, and she relayed everything to us. I know that if we were in the same school, he would have been there to hold her at night. I snapped out my thoughts at Caspian kicking my ankle lightly. No one else seemed to notice me spacing out other than him, or if they did they showed no signs of it. 

I wiped my face clean of any emotion that may have shown moments prior, letting determination sink into my features. Despite his quizzical glance, I refused to answer his budding questions. It was personal. As much as I consider Caspian a friend, this was something that should strictly be family only. By now, everyone had finished eating and slowly conversation fizzled out. The first signs of nerves were now being shown but on some I also saw excitement. Rincon and Florent were both remaining, and everyone else was coming with me.

Now, there was one issue. Names. They all had Narnian or Telmarine names, neither of which are in our world. I quickly explained this to them all and they looked at me dumbfounded like I was kidding. At that, I simply asked them how many people they knew called Edmund before knowing about me and that proved what I was saying. For the next hour we brainstormed over what to call everyone. We decided to pick names that were similar to their own so it would make the adjustment easier but I made the point that I would still call them by their birth names. It would be rude of me as a person and as one of their Kings to not do so.

Once that was decided, it was time to start getting ready. In two hours, we were leaving for London.

~Peter~

I ran my fingers through my hair that was steadily getting longer, a groan of irritation leaving me. Lucy and me were brainstorming how to go about this mission. Especially because we had to do so undetected. But we had to do it as a team, hence the reason for my frustration. Susan had done a disappearing act- again. Since Edmund had left, this was something she had made a habit of. Since she was valuable in our dynamic, we needed her. 

“When did you last see her?”

I turned to Benjamin, waiting a response. He knew all our schedules as did Liam. I had already asked the latter if he had seen my younger sister, but he was clueless. She wasn’t signed up for anything for a few more hours, more specifically target practise. I swore under my breath and took to searching around for her. She wasn’t in any training rooms, in any of the bedrooms, or the social rooms. She also didn’t know the passcode to access the planning rooms. So where was she?

I passed Lucy on my way and she gave me an incredulous look, telling me she had gotten nowhere either. Once more, I checked where she was usually. Normally, whenever she didn’t want to be found, she wouldn’t make an appearance for hours. I remembered a time when she had literally gotten someone to dig a hidden cave underneath the Cair for times like this that we knew nothing about until years later. I wouldn’t put it past her for playing the same trick this time.

I hoped she wasn’t, because this was serious. She had been there when we received the letter with Edmund’s plan. He had written the date of when he was heading back down and it was tomorrow. We don’t know the exact time because it depends on what mode of transport they use. However, it was last minute. Which was why I had to find her. I wasn’t giving up this time. People stepped out of my path out of a mixture of fear and respect. 

Despite me physically being twenty-two, I was mentally thirty-seven, and it showed in my mannerisms and knowledge. There were only three rooms I hadn’t checked yet and it didn’t surprise me that she was not there. I asked people occasionally but they all shook their heads. I was steadily getting angrier as time went on. Where was she? Now that I had concluded she wasn’t in the faction, the options were limited. We didn’t have any raids on currently so that option was thrown out the equation.

That left one option. I closed my eyes and pursed my lips as even more annoyance ran through me. She was above. I headed towards the latch that led up into the sewers that weren’t used anymore. Despite this, it still stunk, but that was the least of my worries. I made sure my knife and gun were still tied underneath my clothes just in case. Citizens tended to circle around the central belts, and we were just slightly out of there. But I didn’t trust them not to come out of the perimeter. 

When I finally got out onto the abandoned streets, I looked around just in case. When I spotted no one nearby, I pulled myself up. The houses still stood, but not one of them was occupied anymore. I headed towards what was our parents. They were both in the faction, but they weren’t as involved as we were, so we rarely saw them. It was simple to get inside and I sighed in relief at seeing Susan’s boots in the hallway.

It didn’t take me long to find her. She was lying on what remained of her bed, curled up in the corner with her head buried between her knees. Slowly, I walked towards her, not knowing how she would react to my presence. For a few moments, she didn’t notice me and I slowly edged down onto the bed. It was all decayed now like much of what was left above considering it was wood, but it still held my weight without struggle. This seemed to catch her attention as she looked straight at me, tear tracks staining her cheeks. She rarely cried, so it surprised me.

“Does it ever get any easier? Thinking about her?”

At that, my heart paused for a second as I looked elsewhere. I had a feeling it was over Caspian. I thought over her question which was now circling around inside of my head. The answer was simple.

“No, it doesn’t.”

Neither of us ever spoke about it, knowing it was a raw topic for the two of us. For me, it was a lot harder as it had been a thirteen year relationship, and that we had three kids. My hand travelled to my ribs where my tattoo was, the only thing I had in remembrance of them. I felt my eyes steadily getting watery as time went on.

“Did you and he ever- “

She made a small face at that before muffling out a quiet ‘no’. 

“We only kissed twice, but it was enough that made me ache for more.”

I nodded at this, the feeling being known for me from personal experience. It was no secret that she wasn’t innocent in that way. We’d all had our fair shares of experiences, so it wasn’t awkward to talk about with each other. Hell, I remember Edmund coming up to me once and quietly asking the best way to get a woman to climax. That had been a weird day to say the least. But that was just our bond, we shared almost everything with each other. 

“There’s no doubt in my mind he’ll be coming down with Ed, but I don’t know if I can face him. I mean, for us it’s been just over four years and for them it’s been nearly six. For all I know he could be married, engaged, betrothed, who knows.”

I closed my eyes at this, anger beginning to seep into me once more. She was thinking of herself and no one else, a trait she rarely showed with her mother-hen approach.

“Su, Ed would have said that in the letter. That isn’t something he would keep from you. No, you might not have had a physical relationship with him but I know you loved him and he loved you. Whether you both realised it or not, I don’t know. But don’t throw the opportunity away.”

She stretched her head back and looked outside the slightly exposed window. We couldn’t show anyone outside we were here, so she’d taken precaution to cover it almost completely. There was just enough space to look into the destroyed streets below.

“What if the opportunity isn’t there though?”

Now, I’d had enough.

“Susan Marie Pevensie, for one second stop thinking about how you feel and instead how everyone else feels. I know it hurts, hell, I know better than most people would. You’re being selfish. Don’t even argue with me on that.”

The last part I’d only added on as she opened her mouth about to retaliate. But she thought better of it and narrowed her eyes my way.

“I know it’s a horrible situation, but be pleased you even have the chance to speak to him again. I would do anything to hold my wife in my arms and have my kids run riot around me. But I can’t because they are all dead. For all I know I might be a great-times-fifty grandfather. But I will never get an answer to that, not until I die and we go to heaven, Aslan’s country, whatever you want to call it. Do not wallow in self pity though, it gets you nowhere. Do you not remember what it made me like?”

By the end of my rant, I was practically screaming at her. I hated yelling at my siblings, but so many emotions came out during this short conversation. I had to ram it into her head once and for all. She’s shut us all out over the last few years, something I had also done when we fell through the chasm the first time. Feeling isolated to the point no one will ever understand you. I got off the bed and went to leave, but before I did, I turned to face her.

“You don’t need to tell Edmund and Lucy, but don’t keep things like that from me. I went through worse than you and I made it through. You might have been called the Gentle, but you’re also one of the strongest women I know. You can do this.”

With that said and done, I turned around and exited what used to be our house. Making my way back into the tunnels that we now resided in. Once I was, I found Lucy stressing over a plan to think of. She looked up at me with pleading eyes, and they softened when she read my expression. I helped her put together a plan and an hour after I had came back down, the familiar sound of stomping caught my attention. I turned to face her and I couldn’t hide the grin on my face at seeing the fierce look in her eyes. A look I had not seen in years.

“Let’s do this.”


	13. Eleven

~Caspian~

Being nervous was something I never really felt. When I was younger, it was a lot more prominent. But as I grew up and became the leader I am, anything even remotely close was shut away and hidden behind a façade. However, since I had been in this world, there was no need to force myself not to feel it. 

This didn’t mean that it freaked me out though, because it did. I have no idea what to expect and I can’t even ask Edmund about it. Yes, he has travelled from the two worlds as well, but he had a slight advantage that I did not. He’d stated a few times as did Susan when they were last in Narnia that my world was similar to theirs hundreds of years prior. I’d thought he had been joking at first, but when I started reading some history books in Digory’s library, it was painstakingly obvious they were telling the truth.

I think that’s what scared me the most now that I really thought about it. I’ve only seen a few things in this world that I wouldn’t have even dreamed possible. What else is there to marvel over? It really should be the impending danger that should set me on edge, but it just didn’t. Fighting wasn’t something new to me after all. I quickly pulled on some clothes and eyed myself in the mirror. I thought I looked ridiculous, but Edmund had simply stated that if I wore anything Narnian or Telmarine fashioned I would stick out like a sore thumb. If we were going to pull this off, I had to blend in well. 

Hence the name change. The first name wasn’t horrific as he and Digory chose names similar to our own to make the transition simpler. They’d agreed Casper might be a good one for me. Us Telmarine’s had a slight advantage however considering he devised a plan to say we were from the south of a country called Spain, and the names there were uncommon here. So we could use our own. However, so nobody felt left out, we were going to us the fake ones.

It was the surname part that bothered me. Some families in Narnia use them, but they were normally upper class. Not many people knew my own. In fact, I don’t think Toma knows it and we used to run around when we were very young kids. It was Athereano, it was difficult to say. Edmund agreed with me on that and after going around us with the more foreign names, decided to weave into the story that we had them changed via something called deed-poll to make them simpler to understand. I had asked him what I should make mine and he had taken one look at me and said Tennyson.

I snorted loud at the reference to my title but he simply shrugged. Until then I thought he was joking but he elaborated by saying it was a known surname in this country, just wasn’t heard often. Digory confirmed that for me later in the day. It allowed me to smile deeply as at least I could keep some more of my identity. It was difficult to leave here. Over the last few weeks I’d grown fond of the elderly man and I didn’t want to leave the estate. But if we were going to help, we had to leave. Edmund had already stayed longer than he was supposed to be staying. 

I jogged downstairs and made my way downstairs where everybody was stationed. Florent and Rincon were beside Digory and silently threatening the others to keep them updated. Edmund was nowhere to be seen. I frowned at that before hearing someone huffing from around the corner. The tall male appeared soon carrying two very large jugs filled with a strange liquid and he nodded a thank you to the elderly. He placed whatever it was down and proceeded to pull him into a tight hug and clap him on the back lightly. 

It was clear he almost saw him as a father, and I felt a slight jolt inside. The only fatherly figure I had was my professor and now there was an entire world separating us. I tried my best not to think about the time differences between the two worlds, not even daring to try and guess how long had passed. Once he came out of the embrace, he gave him a large smile before grabbing the large jugs again. What was in those things?

“It’s kerosine, it’s extremely flammable but difficult to come by. This was the excuse we used to get me out undetected. I need to stick to it so I don’t raise any more suspicion than necessary.”

I wasn’t sure if that was just him reading my quizzical expression or if I had said the question out loud unintentionally. I was just glad to have gotten a response. The fact he had put so much thought just to get up here was ridiculous. 

“The carriages are outside and they’ll take you to the station. From there, listen to him. We use different travel techniques than you’re all used to. You will not see horses or carriages often in this world. Not for travelling anyway. And remember these as well.”

He handed us each a small leather booklet. What was this? I opened it up and was surprised to see a picture of myself on there. Everyone else was looking at it strangely as well. I read it in a bit more detail and saw that it said ‘resident of Tooting’. Where was that?

“Tooting was a small area in London, but it was one of those that was deserted completely. Nobody will question you on this and it means we can get down quickly. If we leave in the next hour, we’ll be just outside the city by tonight.”

My eyes widened at this and I eyed Glenstorm weirdly. We’d been shown a map of this country and there was nearly three-hundred miles between here and London, how would we get down in only a matter of hours? I decided not to speak up on the matter, not wanting to waste more time than was necessary. Edmund was struggling a little with carrying the two large jugs, but that was expected considering he was sorely injured recently.

I ended up taking one from him and huffed at just how heavy they really were. I wasn’t going to bother complaining. The carriage was outside waiting for us with the same woman I’ve seen occasionally around the manor- and Edmund occasionally rolling his eyes at. The pair clearly had some history and I assumed it wasn’t great considering he sometimes muttered annoyingly under his breath. We were given a few bags filled with coins so we could get food on the journey down.

Only ten minutes later we were bundled together in a small carriage on our way somewhere. I took in the scenery around me, knowing this was likely going to be the last time I saw it. I wonder what cities were like here? It took almost an hour to reach what I assumed to be our destination but something confused me. There was nothing here. Just a few metal rails on the ground and a platform at either side. Edmund walked over to a signpost to check something before walking back over.

“We leave in twenty minutes. We will be going via Leeds and Manchester, two large cities. That way you can get used to the size of cities here. London is a lot larger, though. This way you can see how bad it actually is. From here, we go straight to Leeds, then we’ll stop and get something to eat as it’s a two-hour journey providing there are no interruptions. After that we will interchange to Manchester Piccadilly, and finally from there we will go to Slough. The final being a town a few miles from Hillingdon which is where we will be entering the city. From there, we will walk. I don’t plan on entering the city today, we will do so tomorrow so we have the full day to do so.”

My eyes widened as I took in the information. That was a lot thrown at us in one go. We talked for a little but a loud screeching noise made me freeze in shock. What was that? Edmund chuckled softly under his breath.

“That is a train, the method of transport we will be using. It is the quickest way to get down there.”

I looked around for the strange contraption and I soon spotted it. A monstrous machine was slowing down the metal rails that were on the ground, coming to a stop right in front of us. Edmund pressed a button and the door opened, signalling us all inside. Despite the nerves I felt at the foreign machine, we all stepped inside. At least I wasn’t the only one who appeared hesitant. We followed into a compartment, surprisingly all of us fitting easily, and eyeing the local weirdly.

He simply muttered it would take too much time to explain, which silenced us all. One way or another I was getting it out of him. I jumped a little when it started moving but much to my delight I barely felt a thing. I looked out the window the entire time, shocked at the speed we were travelling. At some point, a man came to the door asking for tickets. We all followed Edmund’s lead by showing the ‘proof’ of our residence. His eyes widened in surprise before nodding and leaving to go to another compartment. 

We passed through what I assumed to be a few towns, the buildings surprising me. How advanced this world was still surprised me. An hour into the journey, Edmund pulled out a map of what I assumed to be London along with a pen. That was something I didn’t find odd as we had similar devices to write with. From the concentrated expression he wore, I knew he was planning out our entrance in meticulous detail.

Slowly, I found myself finally relaxing. I wish there was a way to keep track of the time whilst in here so I had an idea of how long it would actually be. I guessed it to be approximately an hour and a half before I spotted Edmund standing up, letting us know we were coming into Leeds any minute. We were in a tunnel now and I won’t lie by saying the darkness freaked me out a little. I was already extremely on edge considering this world was hundreds of years more advanced than my own.

I noticed we were beginning to slow down and a couple of minutes later we had stopped. Edmund gave us a small nod of his head that was our cue to get out. I had picked up that the doors did not remain open for long so we all rushed out. A lot of people had gotten off here but that wasn’t surprising. He’d told me the population of Leeds was just under half-a-million which astounded me. The entire population of Narnia was around that so for that to be in one city was insane to me. 

He led us up stairs which was a bit awkward for us considering the two heavy jugs we were carrying. I can’t even remember what he said was in these, just that it was extremely flammable. I know from personal experience how helpful fire is in a revolution, so I made certain not to accidentally spill anything. My mouth fell open at the amount of people that were inside the building we were in, and I wasn’t the only one. Luckily, we caught ourselves and pretended like this was all normal to us.

Although, on the sly I did look around. To my left were a bunch of signposts with what I assumed to be possible journeys, to my right were more platforms filled with people, and in front of me there were some odd looking gates. I let Edmund go first so I knew how to act in this situation. He showed that same residency thing as he had in the carriage and we all scrambled to get our own. The person who seemed to be checking everyone nodded at us and we were let through.

Edmund stopped to look at one of the signposts, assumedly looking for Manchester. He told a The next was leaving in a few minutes but there was another in less than an hour, so we decided then to get something to eat. He led us over to a bunch of tables and stated it would just be best to get sandwiches as it was likely we would have no idea what food you got here. Once again, he made sure to run the entire plan over with us, ensuring we knew exactly what we were doing. Mercy would not be accepted in this world in times like this, so it had to go perfect.

Even if it went perfect, it was still extremely risky. The journey to Manchester took just over an hour if my estimations were correct. From what I saw of the city when we were coming in, it was at least twice the size of Leeds. How big was London then? I didn’t bother saying anything on this, knowing it would probably be best to keep quiet on something like this. It was beginning to get dark, and I knew it would most likely be nightfall by the time we arrive in Slough.

Once we were boarded at an interchange, he opened his map of the country and showed us exactly where we were and where we were headed. There had to be at least one-hundred miles between where we were currently and our destination. This country was huge compared to Narnia. I must’ve said this aloud because he snorted in amusement and stated this was one of the smallest countries in this world. A few of our entourage closed their eyes and fell asleep, but us who were still awake weren’t speaking. 

The thought of what we were willingly entering weighed heavy on us. Occasionally I glanced at the others, but mostly I analysed the map of the city which Edmund was now looking at again. I spotted a large black line directly splitting it in two, and I couldn’t stop myself asking then. 

“Oh, that’s the Thames river. It almost splits the city perfectly in to a north side and a south side. Luckily it tends to stay as that but occasionally somebody does cross it. We won’t be doing that. In fact, here.”

He cut off and grabbed his own again, opening it up further to reveal what I assumed was the north-west. He didn’t remove the lid, but used it to point out the areas we were going in through. Again, I was surprised with how many areas there were in the city. He’d scribbled an oval shape, one half on each side of the river, and he explained that was where rogues stayed. People who refused to retreat when the revolution began who remained above ground. He led us through the route we were going to be taking and I realised why he wanted to dedicate an entire day to get in to Finchley, it was going to take at least seven hours to get there if we weren’t interrupted by anyone. Before I knew it, we were coming to a stop again and the ancient King gave us a stern look. A look we had all seen on numerous occasions but never imagined he would wear in his world. It was happening. 

Tomorrow, we would be in the city and then there would be no escaping.


	14. Twelve

~Caspian~

Adrenaline rushes were something I had loved ever since I was a young boy. I can remember when I was around twelve years old, when I used to jump from my bedroom window and grab a thick branch, swing on it, climb the tree in question, and hoist myself on to the roof. Every time I did it, I was yelled at but it never stopped me. I rarely ever pulled off stunts like this, but I always received a massive rush every time.

But right now, I could feel excitement bubbling up inside of me mixed with intense levels of fear. This world still terrified me, and it terrified me more that I was willingly entering a city at war with itself. The night prior, Edmund rounded us up in the room we were staying in to run everything past us once again. It was beginning to get annoying, but I knew he was scared about us all going in as much as we were.

Technically, everyone else were still his people, and he felt compelled to protect them all. He handed us over individual maps that he must’ve drawn up in the few hours he had left us prior to calling us in. On each was a path marked in a bold red line and he explained that the name on them was the streets we were going to take. He explained that if one or more of us by some chance got separated, to follow these. He’d also marked off a meeting spot if this did happen so there wouldn’t be someone wandering around a strange city in a foreign world on their own.

He let us choose our own weapons, each of us taking five each. Once we had done this, he nodded his head a little, a silent dismissal. With the inaudible order, everyone filed out, leaving us alone. He wasted no time in stripping down to only his underwear and slipping under the covers, his scars not even bothering me anymore as I’ve seen them dozens of times by now. Do some people in London apart from his siblings know about their war-ridden bodies? If so, what did they say to cover it up?

I wasn’t going to bring up such a silly question however. We were sharing a room, the remaining seven splitting in to three other rooms on the same floor. We were pretty high up and I was glad for that as it meant I could really get used to the size of towns and cities here. We were in a town just now and it must’ve spanned a solid five miles in radius. Cities in Narnia all tended to span approximately three. What baffled me more was that this was a small country.

Whilst we were still at Digory’s, I familiarised myself with some countries in this world. The sheer size of some of them astounding me in to complete silence. Did they ever go travelling in this world? I asked him the question a bit quietly as I wasn’t sure if he was asleep yet as his back was turned against me. He rolled over and pushed himself up in to a sitting position and quirking an eyebrow up at the silly question. I simply shrugged my shoulders to tell him I was just curious. After a few minutes, he nodded and stated they had relatives in France that they tried to visit every few years.

We talked until around 2am, then we decided to finally call it a night. I struggled falling asleep, nerves eating me up from the inside out over everything. But I knew I had to as it was going to be a big day. Edmund began to shake me awake after what seemed like only five minutes but the light streaming in through the windows confirmed it was now morning. I stretched a little before standing up, pulling on some clothes Digory had given us. He eyed me up and down before nodding his head in approval. 

Within the hour we had all left and much to my surprise found out we were simply going to walk there instead of take another mode of transport. I wanted to ask him why but I decided against it, knowing he had a larger motive currently. We all tried our best to hide our astonished gazes at some of the buildings and contraptions covering the many streets we walked down, trying to blend in as much as possible. But it wasn’t easy. 

Deep inside, I felt like a little kid being told they could get everything inside a sweet shop. It took us around three hours before Edmund turned to us and asked if we were ready as we would be on the outskirts of Hillingdon within the next ten minutes. Once again, the dangerous situation hit us all full force but it was too late to back out now. Trumpkin scoffed at the ancient King but Edmund either didn’t see it or ignored it. With his avid perception skills though, I knew it was the latter.

Once we had all agreed, he told us to move what weapons we had so they were easy to get access to. In the distance I could make out larger buildings and I could only assume this was the capital city. I gulped quietly before we started heading off towards it. Just like he said, around ten minutes later we were surrounded by buildings once again but they were all decrepit. Showing just how bad things were here. I watched as Trumpkin’s face fell in realisation, now knowing why Edmund was so hesitant over this. 

As we got to each corner, we looked in every direction for anyone wandering the streets, but we were met with nothing but air. It was Mikian who first asked the question on this area. At this, the local looked down in shame before telling us of the suspected explosion that killed off the majority of people in this faction. How could a single explosion cause this amount of damage? It must’ve been massive and it must’ve been terrifying for everyone who lost their lives in only moments. 

I had expected the areas the factions were based off would be quite small, but I was sorely uneducated. Over an hour had passed and we were still in Hillingdon but I did spot a few signposts saying that Ealing was two miles away. Including it, we had seven factions to go through. It was a lot. This was going to be a very long day. I’ll be surprised if we get to Finchley by tonight. As we got closer to the second area, he eyed all our weapons and stated this area was a known hotspot for rogues to roam around. 

I gulped lightly at that and eyed a few of the people joining us, sharing a similar nervous look. I could hear noise here and it got louder as we walked by a grate. I gave Edmund a look at this and he simply told us we were now in Ealing, the noises we were hearing coming from the faction below. At hearing that, I tried to peer inside some grates but it was too dark to see anything. How did they manage to live underground? I know everything was tunnels but this surely wasn’t enough.

Once again, I bit my cheek and continued following Edmund. A loud bang echoed from somewhere which caught my attention but I didn’t have much time to look for whatever it was as he urged us in to a darkened alleyway, telling us to be quiet. We all held our breaths as he decided if it was safe enough to go through or not. Once he had, we were on our way again. I could hear something from a few streets away but the buildings muffled it, but it sounded like a scuffle. I caught Edmund look that way longingly, desperately wanting to help but knowing he couldn’t.

He’s never liked leaving people in trouble behind. I’d seen him on the battlefield helping injured Telmarine’s out of ditches and also out of the water. Despite what my people had done to his own. There’s a chance he knew a lot of people in this city in different factions and he can’t associate with them anymore. Well, he could, but it wouldn’t go down well at all. Right now, we were clearly in a part of Ealing that had been living only. 

Some of the buildings soared above me, making my eyes widened and my brain almost explode over how it was possible to build that high. Toma asked a casual question over how someone could live in something so large which led to Edmund explaining what a flat complex was. It was weird to think of people just living on top of each other. That is something I had never heard of before now. But it made sense here considering he’s told me previously the city has a population of approximately eight million. 

The noise from a few streets away was steadily getting louder and it was beginning to set me a little bit on edge. But that was expected. Neither of us knew if they were rogues or if they were people from factions raiding for supplies. Neither option was good but we couldn’t deviate from the plan now. Instead, we kept hidden in the shadows, our bodies almost pressed against stone until the noise was no longer heard. 

Now that we were no longer slinking in the dark, I looked around me to take in the buildings here. My eyes widened for a whole other reason. These houses looked familiar to me. I caught Mikian looking at me as well with a similar look. That was when it hit me. Three story town houses with a set of stairs to the doorway. In my head, I imagined the siblings sitting on them, and the background becoming black and white. Lucy’s drawing.

So, that one drawing was either based here or houses were scarily similar in areas. From seeing how respective houses were on the outside here, I knew it was likely the second option. Edmund froze for a moment, his ear twitching a little to the side. He clearly heard something. We all stopped and tried to listen in as well, but the only thing I could hear was wind. I was about to say something but he shot us all a stern look and raised his finger to his mouth, telling us to be quiet. He moved his head around, trying to pinpoint whatever he heard, deciding if it was a threat or not. That was when I heard a lot of running footsteps, and they were close. 

“Get in to one of the houses now! Hide somewhere and do not come out unless I say so, alright?”

The tone he was using was one I had not heard in a long time. Authority dripping from his lips like venom dripping from a snakes fang. For a split second, I saw a silver crown adorning his ebony hair. Even his stance was obviously channelling his inner King. A moment later we were scrambling, checking a few doors in case they were locked. A couple were and he was looking at us in worry, the footsteps getting even closer. If I had to guess, there was maybe a block between them. Near the end of the street I could spot the silhouettes of what appeared to be six people running closer to where we were.

It was the fourth door we tried before I swore loudly and threw my body against the wood, my weight breaking it down the middle. Toma realised what I was doing as he repeated my actions. Seconds later it swung open and we wasted no time in running inside and scampering around inside for somewhere to hide. A few ran towards the back, a couple went upstairs. But I wanted to see what was happening. So I ran in to the front room that overlooked the street Edmund was standing in, taking care to hide behind a couch and making sure my shadow was not noticeable to give me away.

The large window overlooking allowed me a perfect view. He was holding a device I hadn’t seen before, a small black thing that appeared to be made of metal. But from my position I couldn’t see. He opened whatever it was up and slipped something inside before closing it, a loud clicking noise breaking the silence. He raised it to aim at something and a moment later a loud bang emanated from it. This happened a few times but I spotted he was quickly being outnumbered by rogues. 

He swore loudly when he done something with the weapon but nothing happened. He threw it aside and reached down to grab the knives he had stored in his shoes. Even more people had appeared from neighbouring streets, it perhaps being eight-to-one. He’s been struck with worse odds than that before though so I wasn’t that worried. He held the pair of them in a stance I knew well, my mind only showing me his two duelling swords. 

A man tried to sneak up on him from behind but he was quicker. Within a second he was pivoting on one foot at a speed that would normally cause a person to topple over, and slice one knife directly across his throat. I grimaced as blood sputtered out of his neck and his body fell to the ground. He didn’t have any time to react to it because more people came on to him. He cut through them like he was slicing a fresh loaf of bread, his experience in war clearly being put to good use. Now, there were only two people left.

One was a female and the other a male. The female had multiple knives stored across her chest as did the male. The latter was taller than Edmund and he was a slightly bigger build. They forced him in to the centre, one of his knives focusing on the girl and the other focusing on the guy. My breath hitched when he lost one of his knives which left him sorely disadvantaged. Now, I was beginning to get scared for him. With a swift kick, the girl was on the ground unconscious and he turned his attention to the one remaining person who was attacking him.

Within a few seconds, they were in a full on fist fight. I cheered silently when Edmund reached behind him to unbuckle the strap containing his knives and throw it to the other side. Now, he was the only one armed between them. But as he was a little stronger, he held up well. At some point Edmund lost his other knife and he had no choice but to resort to using his own body to physically harm him rather than a weapon. 

What I didn’t expect was for Edmund to smile at something and deliberately dodge to one side. This surprised me but I knew why a moment later when a whistling sound I knew well pierced the noise of the fighting. The man realised a second too late and soon a hilt was protruding from directly between his eyes, a steady stream of blood coating his face as he fell to the ground. Edmund was breathing hard but there was no hiding the grin he had on his face. 

“You can all come out, they’re either dead or unconscious.”

We all slowly filed out, my eyes widening even more at the number of bodies strewn across the ground. I walked over to the last person who fell, eyeing the positioning of the knife. Whoever threw this was an expert. It was perfectly aligned, splitting his face directly in two. If it was a fluke, it would not be in this position. Edmund opened his mouth to say something but I soon felt a force land on my back. I staggered back in surprise as a high-pitched laugh left whoever it was. The remaining of our party were all smiling broadly in amusement at my confusion. 

They jumped off me and a second later I turned to see who it was. A young woman, clearly still a teenager. Deep auburn hair and deep blue eyes only accentuated by her snow-white complexion. A few freckles littered across as she smiled warmly at me. She yelped in surprise when I pulled her in to a very tight hug. She was a lot taller than I remembered. But then again she was four years younger then. Well, biologically she was. 

“Nice throw.”

It was Mikian who had said so and I caught him blushing lightly, clearly not meaning to say that aloud. Nobody else seemed to catch it but I knew the ancient royals did, nothing ever went last them. Edmund wrapped her in a tight hug and whispering something in to her ear. She nodded in to his neck before pulling away. 

“Avoid the main streets of the inner ring, the Citizens are having some kind of party.”

Well that explained how we hadn’t encountered any until now. She retrieved her knife and didn’t even blink as she wiped the blood off it on the guys top. Edmund retrieved his own and he also grabbed the belt storing them all to tie around his body. He nodded to the others, silently asking us to take more weapons just to be on the safe side. We each grabbed an extra knife before looking to him for guidance. With that, we were heading to the next faction.

When we entered Fulham, my eyes creased at the size of the houses here. There were obviously some of those complexes he had told us of before, but there were a lot more that were not. Some had four floors each. This was clearly a more upper-end area that had once been inhabited. Since we had now broken past the inner ring, there was no need for us to be on high alert for rogues, or Citizen’s as Edmund and Lucy called them.

It was a much smaller faction than the other two we had passed through, only taking us around forty minutes to exit. If my memory wasn’t failing me, the next stop was Chelsea. He turned to us now and warned us we were close to the largest and most armed faction. In fact, he pointed ahead down a long street where at the end there was a huge building. It wasn’t well structured, but I could see from the distance how many people there were on patrol. Apparently unlike the other factions, they built up instead of going underground. 

We all gulped a little as he ordered us once again to slink in to the shadows. The entire time I was sure I was holding my breath as we got closer. Neither of them said much as we were now only a couple of hundred feet away from it. Suddenly, they slinked in to an alley I didn’t see at first but we all followed. Once we were a good mile down it, Lucy turned to us and spoke;

“It’s the quickest way to get in to Chelsea. Either this or we took a detour that could add an extra few hours on to our journey.”

I opened my mouth a little in understanding. The pair of them began speaking in a different language clearly, not wanting any of us to understand a word shared. We all gave each other an odd look at this but we knew better than to question people who lived in a war-ridden city. Once we were out of the alley, I realised we were once again in a more upper-end area. Once more, the houses looked identical still. Were there any houses that looked different in London? It doesn’t seem it so far. 

We were clearly approaching another ring of rogues if the loud banging noises were anything to go by. Edmund gave Lucy a look, silently asking her a question. She whispered fast in that same language as before previously and he nodded. We stayed away from the main streets again for the most part but I frowned when we were told we had to cross one to get into Westminster. A few people audibly gulped and gave each other a frightened look. 

Like Lucy had said, there appeared to be a party happening. Numerous people were dancing and carrying around bottles of alcohol. How were we going to get passed them? I soon got my answer when more bangs echoed from farther down the street. It was enough to catch all their attention as they stumbled after it. I had to bite back a laugh at the ones who were drunk already, them stumbling over things that were not there.

“Now! It’s a distraction and the second they realise this they will come back and they will be angry!”

The voice was one I vaguely recognised. It was coming from above which caused me to quirk an eyebrow. I stretched my neck back, trying to see who it was. I got my answer soon though at seeing golden-blonde hair and bright blue eyes. I was about to call his name but he shot me a look and pointed ahead, silently ordering us to move, and now. We all obeyed the order, and once we had crossed the street, we again slinked in to the shadows. Peter slid down a pipe and darted after us last before flattening his back against a wall. When we all finally caught our breaths, we slinked down the alley in to another street. This one was not littered with rogues. Which meant it was safe to speak.

“Nice distraction.”

At the sarcastic quip, Peter smacked Edmund lightly over the back of the head. He then eyed us all but it was clear a few were looking down in respect, refusing to meet his gaze. He told us again not to treat him any different because he was not royalty here. Despite this, it was difficult to picture him as anything other than the High King of Old. Westminster was also a large faction. Luckily for the remainder we were not stopped by rogues or anyone raiding. In fact, it just looked like the place was sleeping. As if it were early morning and people had not yet got up to go to work.

Then there was Camden and I was rendered silent at the huge difference of living here. The streets had numerous pot holes in them, litter covering them as well. But what surprised me most was the tiny houses and huge complexes. They had to be at least thirty-floors each. This was obviously a lower-end area. We were clearly following the main streets here which were deemed safe by the three locals. I looked in to a few shops, eyeing what was sold here. The windows were smashed in most of them. We even walked through an outdoor market called the Lock. I caught a few people grabbing items that caught their attention and stuffing them inside their clothes.

We were getting close now, there now only being one area between our destination and where we were situated currently. Nerves were slowly eating away at me, hoping the story of us being from a foreign country years ago would be bought. If it wasn’t, we were in trouble. Before I could blink it seemed, we were in the centre of Haringey. There didn’t seem to be much here either except the odd few shops and even more houses. Lucy gave us all a look and asked if we were fully prepared for what we were going in to, and we all nodded. Trumpkin also stated that Edmund had taken every opportunity available to inform us wholly.

He gave him an unimpressed look out the corner of his eye at that. Our surroundings whittled down a bit as we came to what appeared to be a park but I couldn’t be certain. On the opposite side though, I spotted a signpost saying ‘Welcome to Finchley’. We were here, now there was definitely no turning back. The trio guided us through the area that was where they had grown up, sharing a few stories of each other. I snorted when Peter pointed to a rusted iron gate and let us know Lucy once got stuck as the bars were behind her ears, trying to prove she could get her head through the tiny space.

The youngest shoved him to the side and proceeded to share an embarrassing moment of him as well. This continued until we were all joined in. Toma was beet-red when I told people of the time he got his foot stuck in a horse stirrup when the animal was spooked. I can remember that vividly. Suddenly, they stopped and pulled something on the ground I hadn’t seen before. I stared in amazement as the gravel came up to reveal a tunnel underneath. We all filed in now and they shut the latch, blocking out all sunlight. 

At this, Edmund grabbed his torch that he had brought with him, showing us the tunnel. There was an odd scent but it wasn’t bothersome. We were clearly getting lower and lower underground the further we went but I didn’t say anything else. Too stunned to say anything really. A second latch was opened which opened further tunnels. We jumped down again and now I could hear a lot of noise, showing we were close to civilisation. 

There was a door blocking us from everything inside. Peter knocked lightly to alert people inside and a moment later it opened wide. My eyes widened and my breath hitched in my throat. Susan, she was even more entrancing than I remember her. Deep hair rivalling Edmund’s and deep blue eyes she shared with her sister. Face chiselled in a way that would make most females jealous and men to go crazy over her. She smiled warmly at us all but it widened when she finally locked eyes with me.


	15. Thirteen

~Caspian~

There haven’t been many times in my life where what I was expecting was not even close. When both Digory and Edmund told us of the factions being moved underground when all the fighting started within London, I expected everything to be dirty and not be much space. How wrong I was. It became obvious the siblings had deliberately taken us to the back entrance, so they could give us a small tour along with running over the plan with them to cover us suddenly showing up. Us Telmarine’s all came from a village near Barcelona and the Narnian’s were travellers who had decided to help.

They’d even gone to the extent of teaching us some phrases in what would become my ‘mother’ language. It resulted in a lot of tied tongues and numerous confused expressions, but we could hold a very simple conversation. It was obvious though that neither of us were fluent. Once again, they had been a step ahead to cover this up as well. So now I had been born in a village close to Barcelona and my parents had moved me here along with family friends to chase up work opportunities when we were very young- as a result losing most of the language.

I knew them being multiple steps ahead always were ingrained in to them from over a decade of running a Kingdom and having to learn. We’d been having it drummed in to us on the entire journey to make sure none of us slipped up. That wouldn’t be good if any of us slip up because it would blow the entire operation.

But I didn’t expect what we walked in to. At most, I expected the factions to be one level and be a few large rooms. It was anything but that. There were multiple levels, at least three I counted. Instead of rooms were a plethora of tunnels all leading elsewhere. There were makeshift lights on the walls to create some brightness. Some rooms were even locked with a code. On top of this, Lucy told us that there were just over one-thousand people in Finchley. Edmund asked his siblings if there had been any raids since he’d been away and they all shook their heads.

“We thought there would be, but instead it was an agreement. A bit like what we have with Harrow.”

The younger male hummed in understanding. Even now, it still baffled me that two different districts at war could work in harmony without there being an official alliance drawn up. Then again, this country is mostly government ran and not monarchy ran. They’d told us that this country was one of the very few who were ran by a monarchy still, but nobody knew what happened. There were rumours the remaining royalty were stationed in Kensington (which wouldn’t surprise me considering the fortress), or that they had ran when it all began.

If the latter was the case, then it disgusted me. how any ruler cold run when their people needed their help desperately baffled me. I could tell it angered them as well. Their numerous wars and battles were documented in minute detail- even to who had designed their armour. These wars being seen from the dozens of scars that litter their bodies- the brothers being the worst of all. Of course, the girls had them as well. I’d only seen theirs a couple of times when a sleeve fell to expose an arm, or the more disturbing one Lucy sported under her chin. It was only noticeable if she bent her head right b ack. If rumours were correct, it had been someone beginning to slowly slice her throat open to end her life, but someone pierced him with a sword right as he was about to slip the weapon across to spill her blood.

Out the corner of my eye, I scanned them both for more. Both girls had their arms exposes and it was clear they were covered in them. I could see a faint white line from Lucy’s attempted throat slit which caused me to shiver in discomfort. She’s seventeen, no seventeen-year-old should know what it feels like to be that close to death. On Susan’s left shoulder there was an almost perfect imprint of a bite. From the size, it looked to have been a werewolf. I tore my gaze away from the older sister, not wanting her to know. Her face was almost legendary in our world for being one of the most beautiful females to exist.

“Alright, sit.”

It had been years since I had last heard that tone of voice. We’d been led to an empty room which I was glad for. The other three wanted and needed to know what had happened. But hearing Peter using his court voice almost made us do as he said instantly. A couple of our groups were still standing, waiting on me to give them the order. I solely nodded towards them. I caught a slight uptick of an eyebrow from the blonde man across from me, but he didn’t question anything. In fact, he shook his head a little as if remembering he was in his own world right now and not in court. 

“I am assuming that you all want to help out, or at least offer some aid to our cause?”

We all nodded lightly. He clearly just wanted confirmation from us in person and not just word-of-mouth from his little brother.

“And you are all aware of the advancements in this world? Along with what started this entire revolution within the city?”

Again, we nodded. He was silent for a few minutes and out the corner of my eye I caught the youngest of the four looking to me weirdly. It was weird to see them older. The last I had saw them Lucy had been thirteen, Edmund was fifteen, Susan was seventeen, and Peter turned eighteen days before they departed Narnia for the last time. The fact that they were an entire fifteen years older still freaked me out. All we see is young adults when really, they are all in their mid-thirties. 

“Please don’t take this in the wrong manner, but can you explain why it is exactly you want to help us? Yes, we do need all the help we can get even if it is only another eight people and two outsiders to communicate with, but what underlying reason is there?”

He didn’t direct it at one person, he addressed us all. There was still a slight lingering tone of the legendary High King in his voice, but it had been considerably quietened down. He cannot use that regality in his every day mannerisms otherwise it will raise suspicions. Suspicions on top of what is going on already would just be a recipe for disaster. Nobody could know of their previous monarchy, nor could they know of mine, and they could not know that half of my party were not even human.

“Your Majesties, this was considered long and hard from the moment we were told what this city has come to. You all helped us when you didn’t need to, you all chose to believe the Telmarines and to entrust your country to them. Yes, you are all trained heavily in diplomatic expeditions and in war tactics, but that was for our world. Your world is not the same. Hence, we offer our services to your cause and we are interested in learning more advanced technological advancements.”

Glenstorm’s miniature speech brought silence to us all. I hadn’t expected him to take everyone’s words out of their mouths and put it together so effortlessly. He’s been quiet for most of the past few weeks that have passed, but it became obvious now that he was analysing everyone from afar. A bit like a certain King. I eyed Edmund out the corner of my eye to see a small smirk playing on his lips, him clearly catching the reference as well. Peter however, still looked hesitant. I knew why he was, he didn’t want his people to fight in a revolution they knew nothing about. The girls were remaining silent, awaiting their oldest brother to decide himself. From the startled look the blonde twenty-two-year-old wore, I knew he felt out of place to be put on the spot like this again. He’d have made these decisions dozens- possibly hundreds of times in Narnia. But he had not been in Narnia for over four years, and it took him off guard.

“I don’t have anything to say. I don’t hold that level of authority here and therefore it would be wrong of me to pass final judgement. I cannot deny however, that I am certain you all know what you are getting yourselves in for. We have weapons that could wipe out the entire city in seconds. We have weapons that could incinerate an entire faction or district. We have poisons that are undetectable. Most importantly though, we do not use weapons you are not acquainted with.”

“Then we train them with such weapons. We’re already head trainers. We could figure out a schedule and use an abandoned area to practise.”

My eyes widened at the little Queen cutting off the High King like that. In Narnia, that is something she could never do unless it was personal. Therefore, hearing her audibly do so, was enough to silence everyone in the room. Peter breathed deeply under his breath, blinking a few times as well, as if he were coming back to reality. Suddenly remembering he was not in court and was instead in a room underground in Finchley. He covered his face with his hands, reaching a conclusion. 

“For goodness sake, Peter. You said it yourself, we cannot order them not to do anything. In Narnia, we are royalty, but we aren’t here. Edmund is already playing strategist by setting up outsiders and I am assuming he has already assigned some of your roles?”

Hearing her voice again almost made me lose my breath. When Edmund told me she had changed, I didn’t want to believe it. Now though, hearing the cold tone in her voice made his statements about his older sister clear. I already knew Mikian had been assigned one, but I was surprised to see three others nod their heads in agreement.

“There we go. We have four people who have already been assigned roles and they have agreed willingly to take part. We have warriors, we have planners. Most of all though, we have ambition. They have a drive to help us, Peter. Get it through your thick skull for goodness sake. We have seen them all and how much they can benefit our cause. Will it do much? No, it won’t. But we cannot turn away help even if it is the most honourable thing or us to do being royalty.”

As she continued, it only became more apparent. The Gentle Queen would never speak like this in Narnia. Her eyes held nothing in them apart from a stern look, not even one of compassion. Almost like she was lecturing a child for misbehaving. 

“I know what you’re really thinking and what is really stopping you. You need to stop blaming yourself for it. You feel like you have failed and therefore do not want the help. I know you’re hurting Pete, but as much as it hurts Aylene and the kids are- “

“Don’t you dare continue, Susan Marie. Get out, now.”

She cut off with whatever she was going to say at the threatening tone lingering in his voice. I caught everyone else in my party looking to one another in confusion. All records of Queen Aylene and the Prince’s and Princess were wiped in history.

“Pete- “

“I will not tell you again. Get. Out.”

Rarely did she agree to an order like this, but it was clear she overstepped a boundary there. She bit her tongue a few times, clearly realising what she had just said. But she decided against it as a moment later she left the room. Peter’s angry silence lingered for a few minutes, but it soon dissipated. His eyes were glossy, and he spoke with a shaky voice;

“I’m sorry, I can’t.”

Then he left the room with Edmund hot on his heels, leaving us alone with Lucy. She seemed a bit out of place, not knowing where her heart lay. She wanted to run after her brothers to make sure Peter was ok. She also wanted to run after Susan to see how she was doing. And she also wanted to stay and help us decide.

“My apologies for my siblings. The topic of my sister-in-law along with my nephews and niece are still rather raw for my eldest brother. As he did touch upon briefly, we do not have the authority here to order you all to sit back and do nothing. Although, something tells me an order would not stop you. I agree with my sister and Edmund, we do need all the help we can get. Experienced or inexperienced. Anything is better than nothing. Now, please explain what roles my brother assigned you all with?”

It was clear that Lucy audibly saying just who Aylene was and why Peter reacted the way he did surprised everyone. They too had stunned looks much like I did when he first told me of his wife and children. It died down soon after, but it did not fade. They did not dare to voice their questions though, understanding how sore of a subject it was for the four siblings. 

Mikian began by confirming he had been asked personally by Edmund to be a designer of tunnels, which seemed to peak her interest. She pouted her lips a little and gestures him to continue. In the way that he spoke, it was clear he was extremely passionate over his craft and he was delighted he could put it to good use. Then there was Trumpkin, who had been assigned on as a tactic worker. When I considered this position in my head, I realised Edmund knew them all better than I first imagined. Glenstorm had also been assigned the same position. Much to my surprise though was Thero. He was one of the generals in the castle and he frequently aided in battle planning and other things. He’d been assigned as something that might become the most useful. He was to be someone who could spin about building up alliances or agreements. He had a way with words, and it wouldn’t surprise me if Edmund had put this to the test as he was famous for his sharp tongue and insanely quick wit.

“Anyway, I think we all need to sleep on it. I’m afraid until we can find appropriate accommodation some of you will need to share a room. Caspian, I feel it is probably best if you stay with one of my brothers along with either Trumpkin or Glenstorm. Thero, you may want to consider this as well. If you have been chosen to be someone who can spin their words to benefit their beliefs, it would be best you stay with Edmund. My eldest brother will eventually come around to the idea, he’s just stubborn. The rest of you can take a couple of spare rooms, there are three unoccupied by us if it offers any consolidation.”

I don’t think I had ever heard Lucy speak so fluidly before. Obviously, she had been, she was a Queen. If documented history was correct, she had been a mixture of all her siblings. She was as stubborn as Peter, she was as compassionate as Susan, and she had a wit that could rival Edmund’s. All three of these was a deadly combination and it was clear she was not a force to be reckoned with. I’ve seen her with her knives, as has everyone else with that perfect throw only hours before. Some of us wanted to speak, but we knew not to question her. The look she wore on her face was enough to tell us to not bother. 

I already knew where I was going, and with a glance at Glenstorm, I could see he was going to the same place. Centaurs were some of the eldest species to roam Narnia, and they knew a lot of things that were never recorded. So, he likely knew of Aylene. He gave me a small nod, reading the expression on my face but not giving it away to anyone else in the room. Those who had been assigned a role from Edmund were going to share a room with him, so they could go over everything, and everyone else were going to take an empty room. 

Lucy stood up and signalled us to follow her. We all stood up and done just that. I tried my best to burn every turn in to my mind, but the complexity of the faction was too great. It seemed that every tunnel branched off in to another which then branched in to another one. A bit like a maze. A maze that just over one-thousand people occupy full-time. Some people gave us looks as we passed by, and some asked questions. A part of me almost forgot our story but it came back to me on time. The people who did ask looked at us with distrust but didn’t dare to say anything. I had a feeling that may be because neither of them wanted to provoke Lucy. 

“This is the spare room. In the second-last room on the right down this way is a storage room filled with mattress and blankets for warmth. There are also candles and matches to create light. Edmund’s room is that one there, and Peter is at the end on this side. Susan and myself are around the corner if you need any of us. We will give you a detailed tour tomorrow in amongst our schedules and we will also make a point to integrate you all in to the faction properly to avoid any more suspicions growing around eight people randomly coming back with Edmund.”

With that, she disappeared around the corner, most likely in search of her sister to either console or yell at her over her comment towards Peter. We all took turns in grabbing a mattress and a blanket, not wanting to cause a fight of any form. Fighting over something as juvenile in this situation would do nobody any good. I timidly knocked on Peter’s door, listening for him. I couldn’t hear much through the makeshift door which was surprisingly thick. I gave Glenstorm a look before pushing it open. 

The legendary High King of Old was someone I never expected to see curled in a corner crying. There wasn’t much in the room apart from a few pictures, a mattress on the ground, a notebook, a couple of blankets, a suitcase filled with clothes, along with a few miscellaneous objects strewn around. He was shirtless, his ink on show. I never did ask how to get them, but I wasn’t going to ask such a trivial question at a time like this. Glenstorm closed the door behind him before hesitantly walking over to sit down on the floor. 

“What was that about? It doesn’t seem like her to use something like that in such a way?”

Glenstorm was looking at the two of us back and forth, not knowing whether to pipe in himself. Peter ran his hand underneath his eyes to collect remaining tears.

“She’s bitter, and she’s taking it out on everyone instead of stopping to realise how much she is affecting everyone else. It’s not the first time she’s used my wife and children against me like that. But it still hurts. Yes, it’s been years but it’s not a nice thing knowing my family are dead. I don’t even know what happened after the whole stag fiasco- “

“Your wife escaped, my King.”

His breath hitched at that before looking at the centaur with a stunned look. I also had a similar look once his words registered in my mind. Aylene escaped. She survived. Did the kids get out as well?

“What?”

His stunned question was such a departure for me. I still see the High King, but now I wasn’t. Now I was only seeing a grieving man. 

“The story has been passed down generation to generation with us centaurs. My ancestor General Orieus, was aware of an underground cave underneath the Cair that nobody else knew about. He manged to get your wife and your children out, your Majesty. Castle workers snuck food to them along with plenty of water. Once the battle died down, he smuggled them out on a ship to Galma and later to Avra. Not much is known after this, but rumours are that your wife set up a new life for herself under a new name and your children did marry and have families of their own.”

The more he spoke, a more hopeful expression come on to Peter’s face. That was a question he never thought he would get an answer to. Thought he would have to wait until he crossed over to Aslan’s country to find out the truth. 

“Do you know what name she went under? I might have read about her in my spare time and didn’t realise.”

The centaur nodded a little.

“She went by Natalia Richards, and she set up a story that she ended up shipwrecked on the coast of Narnia with her children when she first arrived in Galma.”

At hearing the name, my eyes widened. I knew that name, well at that. How had I not put it together before now? That name was almost as legendary as the siblings. It was her who had outside information and managed to hold off the invasion for so many years. It was also written in history that she had two sons and a daughter. All of which were under thirteen-years-old. Those kids were the Prince’s and Princess. Peter’s eyes widened as well and a moment later a loud laugh escaped. He obviously recognised it as well, as a large grin took over his face.

“That sounds like Aylene. She was very clever with things like that. I always joked with her that she spent way too much time around Edmund. It was him who introduced us. Her father was one of our most trusted battle planners and he always told us his daughter helped him. So, my little brother set up a false invasion to test her knowledge out and got me in on it as well. We were married four months later.”

I had to fight back a grin from coming on to my face. It was no wonder he had fallen in love with her. She pretty much sounded like a female version of him mixed with his little brother’s wit. 

“Well, make yourselves comfortable. I’m away to find my sister and attempt to calm her down.”


	16. Fourteen

~Susan~

I honestly didn’t expect any less. Whenever I got mad I always tended to take it out on my siblings as they all knew the root of everything. Nobody else would understand, and in a way, this worked in my favour. Despite my title being Gentle, I was not the warmest of people to begin with. I’ve always been sketchy about meeting new people but mostly this was covered with relaxed features and a dazzling smile. I’ve never been someone to make acquaintances easily never mind friends. Therefore, falling for someone completely in a month had been a massive shock for me. 

I can still remember when Peter had told us he had proposed to Aylene after only five weeks of courting. I had snorted at first because I thought he was joking, but it quickly became apparent he had not been kidding. I had called him stupid for moving so quickly as I was scared he would get his heart broken. He’s always been there almost as a second father figure to all of us, and I wanted him to be treated as nothing less than royalty. And not solely because is the High King. Yet over the last almost five years I have thrown it back in his face too many times to count. But he never gave up with me, because out of everyone, he understood on a much harsher level.

I remember meeting her for the first time and seeing the tiny glint in her eye as she glanced towards my older brother. We’d walked by her occasionally, but we never spoke to her. But when Edmund spun his little plan to test her knowledge of how people operated, I knew she was a lot more than a slender woman with red coloured hair. She was older than me by a few months, but our interests could not have been farther from one another. I always had my head buried in a book or riding in my free time. Then there she was with numerous knives and not afraid to get dirty or involved in messy situations.

Truthfully, we didn’t get along all that well when they first began their courtship. Whether it was due to our conflicting personalities or that I wanted to be the overprotective sister looking out for her brother for once, I wasn’t sure. Five weeks of courtship, three months of an engagement, followed by a thirteen-year marriage. Normally whenever there was an engagement when it came to royalty, there was a big show surrounding it. 

Peter hadn’t done this with her. He never told us he was proposing to her, wanted to make the decision himself and not have it influenced by those closest to him. It was so unlike him and I think a part of me detached from him at that. It was around this time that I realised he wasn’t just my brother anymore and he belonged to someone else who had captured his heart wholly. A part of me hated Aylene because of this, but I never let it show. I would talk with her, go riding with her. I even convinced her to go shopping one day but she ended up purchasing a new knife to add to her ever-growing collection. 

It drove a wedge between us, but it was only Edmund and Lucy who saw. Peter was too swept up with her and a piece of him wanted to believe everything was peachy. Nothing escaped my little brother and Lucy had a knack for spotting something the way a hawk catches sight of its prey from above. Then they were married, and things calmed down massively. I began to let my guard down and found myself beginning to enjoy her company and not force myself to enjoy it. It was when she came to me first with suspicions that she may be pregnant before it snapped my selfishness into perspective.

As much as I hated to admit it, Peter was not mine. I could not control him, and he was not a kid anymore. He was a married man and his wife was pregnant. It led to a lot of tears on my part and me spilling everything to her along with huge waves of guilt towards everything. She was hesitant around me after this but within a couple of weeks she realised I had now wholly accepted her as a part of the family. I loved the kids, almost like they were my own. Then when we fell through the chasm…

I always tried not to think about it, but it was difficult not to. Especially now that they were all in Finchley. Now I couldn’t ignore that it had all happened. I’ve always had this thing around me where when something hurts I try to deny it ever existed. Seeing his face as he realised he would never be able to hold his beloved again, never wake up to her tangled in the covers beside him, never love her like that again, and never see his children again, it was heart breaking. Every night he cried himself to sleep and every day he always snuck off to see if by some miracle the chasm had opened. 

“So, are you going to talk or are you just going to sit there and sulk like usual?”

I snapped my head up at hearing my sisters voice break the silence. She had closed the door behind her and was looking down at me with an unimpressed look. And I do not blame her.

“I’m not stupid you know, neither of us are. We all know why you are being so horrible with us. You’re trying to push everyone away in the hope you can convince yourself it was nothing but a childhood fantasy then emerge from the ashes as a totally different person than Queen Susan the Gentle. But you can’t push me away because you know I’m persistent. You cannot push Edmund away either partially for the same reason but also because out all of us you two are the most similar. So, you’ve chosen to use Peter to do so. And the git is far too honourable and humble to call you out on it.”

I opened my mouth to retort back but she shot me another furious glare, telling me to shut up until she was done.

“You are a hypocrite, Susan Pevensie. You really are nothing but that. How you can live with yourself knowing you are consistently throwing the man who raised us when dad was drafted under the bus like that solely because you want to take your hurt out on everyone else baffles me. He’s done so much for us and you treat him like absolute shit. He understands a hell of a lot more than Ed and I do even though we weren’t exactly unexposed to relationships. Remember me with Corin and Peridin? Or Edmund with Kacey and Larina? We’ve all experienced love and what it’s like to be heartbroken. Now imagine that being a thirteen-year relationship where three children are involved with a fourth on the way, and being torn away from it all solely down to childhood curiosity making an appearance at the wrong time?”

I hung my head low at this, letting her words sink in.

“If you don’t change your attitude soon sister, you’re going to lose him for good. And if he loses his patience with you I can guarantee Ed and myself will have lost it a hell of a lot sooner. Now, you get yourself in his room and you explain everything and do not sugar-coat a thing. It’s the least he deserves considering what he has gone through.”

With that, she stormed out the room, not being discrete at all with how loud she slammed it. I forget she had been grown up like myself on numerous occasions, only seeing a slender seventeen-year-old. She’s never been someone to take nonsense and will not hesitate to get rather colourful in the language department to get her point across. After all, she was not called the Valiant for nothing. I deliberately waited for quite some time before biting my lip and making my way to my older brother’s room.

~Lucy~

It was known it took a lot to get me to tip over the edge. However, it was also known that when it did tip over the edge, I was a force to be reckoned with. So many people only saw me as a tiny female who was only good for having children. If anything, I was the total opposite. I never had kids, had never really considered it. My nephews and niece were more than enough for me and with their boisterous personalities. It was almost amusing how they were almost miniatures of us. It was clear they took after Peter, but it was also obvious they took a lot of things from us. 

I shook my head to rid the thoughts from my head. There was still anger deep inside me over my sister’s actions. As much as she hates to admit it, she can be the most selfish person in the universe at times. There have been times where I have had to restrain myself from punching her in the face to try and knock sense in to her. I stopped by Peter’s room and knocked lightly. He opened it not long after and slinked out which caused me to frown in confusion.

“Caspian and Glenstorm fell asleep about twenty minutes ago, it’s been a long day for them.”

I nodded in realisation, but his mannerisms were odd. Considering Susan had once again thrown his wife and children in his face not long ago, he was rather pleased. I decided not to bring it up and let him tell whatever it was on his mind. We had a meeting with several people to discuss why Edmund had come back with a miniature entourage. The entire way there I was running the story through. We were rapidly speaking in Old Narnian, a language we had forced ourselves to learn when we were still rounding up followers of Jadis.

Very few people in Narnia did speak it as it had technically been extinct for over a hundred years at that point, but it was still spoken on occasion. Much like Gaelic in certain areas of Ireland or Scotland. We got a few odd looks considering they didn’t understand a word we were saying, but we paid them no attention. We didn’t bother going to get Edmund considering Liam had given him the remainder of the day off on the condition he host three training sessions tomorrow instead of his usual two. 

There were three other people we regularly met up with to discuss meetings, and they were all seated when we arrived. Peter made sure to lock the door behind him before sliding out a seat for me which caused me to grin lightly. Nobody said a word for a few minutes, but eventually Benjamin broke the silence by getting straight to the point by asking who they all were. Now it was our turn to put our acting and persuasion skills to the test.

“You all know how we were evacuated when the bombings got really bad?”

They all nodded at this, them all remembering how bad it was.

“We got evacuated to a large estate in the middle of nowhere. To entertain ourselves we would go to the nearest village and we got friendly with some locals there. Their parents moved them to here from a small village twenty miles from Barcelona and don’t know much about their homeland or culture, so they’re heavily cultured in an English way. Digory Kirke- the man we stayed with- he has connections. So, when Edmund went to get the kerosene we needed badly for lamps etcetera, it was easiest for him to write to him. Whilst he was there, he made a small trip to visit all of them and they are aware of everything and decided they wanted to help.”

“We have known these people for years. They are very understanding of how things like this operate. Those who did not emigrate with their parents, are all travellers who have just gotten fed up with sitting back and doing nothing. And I think we can all agree that if they convinced our brother that they could aid in some way, they can. Edmund is not the easiest person to please.”

They all snorted at this, letting our speeches sink in. I just hope it’s enough to convince them somewhat. They’ll need to prove it to them, but they need to be accepted first.

“We are going to discuss with Liam when we get some free time tomorrow about setting up private training to get them all up to scratch weapon wise. We have already told them everything there is to know and considering they willingly walked in to the city knowing the state it is in right now is impressive. None of you can deny that.”

A few murmurs echoed around the table at that, them knowing this was the truth. If anyone wandered above now if they weren’t on a raid or to gather information from neighbouring factions, they were labelled stupid. Yes, we might’ve just been without the ring where Citizen’s densely populate abandoned houses and flats, but there were other threats. The North of London was still extremely unpredictable. This combined with the one thing nobody wants to happen but knows is happening, was terrifying. Supplies were running out. If an agreement of sorts was not made in the next two months maximum, I doubt there will be a Finchley for much longer.

I hate thinking like that, but it’s a thought I’m used to. I’ve already witnessed two revolutions come to an end but with those it was only two sides to everything. There are over twenty districts in London, and they are all at war with one another. It’s incredibly unpredictable. It all happened so fast, people turned against one another seemingly overnight. It was Peter and Edmund who told us about the first attack, them coming up to the school gate the next day still white from shock. It didn’t surprise me they did not hesitate to get in on the action, they’ve always been people to not sit back and watch everything happen. 

“You are willing to train them outside of your already busy schedules? You are head trainers, and planners. Plus, you are all favourites as accomplices to go on raids. We’re running low on numerous supplies, so we will need to go on a raid again soon or try and strike up a deal.”

I closed my eyes at this, letting this all filter through my mind. I hate going on raids, but they are necessary. 

“We are. We’re planning on taking it in turns and possibly try to keep raids to weekends only. Most people relax then so it’s a little easier to infiltrate the territory. That gives us Monday to Friday which should work with our schedules. We’re going to meet with Liam just to make it all certain before we stick to a strict regime though.”

They nodded in understanding at this. We stayed to talk for another ten minutes before bidding them goodbye. Once we were in solitude though, I turned to my brother with a raised eyebrow. Telling him I had caught his slightly odd behaviour when I went to get him. I saw his eyes sadden considerably but he smiled warmly, which told me he had been told something. And I had an idea what. 

“You found out what happened to her and the kids.”

I saw him bite his bottom lip hard, trying to stop himself from grinning widely. He doesn’t let people see him at his happiest, knowing an expression like that can easily be used against someone from personal experience. I led him in to an empty room and closed the door behind me, before crossing my arms. 

“Orieus smuggled her and the kids out. Apparently, Susan’s little tunnels she’d had built came in handy after all.”

I cocked my head to the side, wondering where he was going with this. I couldn’t picture Aylene being someone to willingly live underneath the Cair.

“They stayed there until the first invasion ended, and then they were smuggled out to Galma. Then finally to Avra. Let’s just say you know what happened. She went under a different name. Go on then, Queen Lucy the Valiant, put it all together.”

I smacked his arm lightly at the use of my title, a grin beginning to form on my face. I sat down beside him and let his broken picture slowly piece itself together. What did she go under? I wracked my brain for any knowledge I might’ve stored without realising. Who mover to Avra from Galma from Narnia? And all in a short time span? Then it all clicked. 

“Natalia Richards? Tell me you’re joking!”

My mouth fell open in amazement. Now that I thought about it, what I’d read about the name sounded suspiciously like her.

“Of course, she would do that.”

He snorted beside me at this, him completely agreeing with the simple statement. It was her who taught me how to throw knives, much to my brother distaste. Susan on the other hand was both amused and horrified when she found out. I remember when I first showed my proficiency in the art of knife-play. We’d been training, Susan with the archers as usual and my brothers facing each other off with their own individual styles. Edmund relying on speed and wit, then Peter relying on strength and precision. Each picking up little things from one another as they went. Susan asked me to join her and offered me her bow, but I refused, telling her I didn’t want to be someone to stand far away from the enemy. 

Naturally, she took it as a slight insult, but she soon laughed. Then I eyed the row of knives beside me that had been laid out to practise with. She almost never went for them, but occasionally she did. She shrugged her shoulders and returned to improving her posture in such a way she could grab an arrow quicker. I watched for about fifteen minutes, chatting with her as I went. Then Aylene appeared and sat down beside me, her bump now showing. It felt weird, knowing that Peter was becoming a dad, but he’s incredibly excited over the prospect. She dared me to a throwing contest and with me being someone to not shy away from a challenge, agreed. Two minutes in and ten knives thrown between us, we had gathered a large crowd. 

“I’ve finally got the closure. Maybe now I can start to move on from her. As much as I hate to think like this, it’s been years. I won’t see her again until we die, nor will I see my kids until then either. She wouldn’t want me to sulk over the fact she’s no longer alive, she would want me to find love again.”

I hugged him tightly at this. I was glad he had finally gotten the answer he needed to know. But it’s not going to be easy for him. 

“We’re all here for you. We’ve all experienced break-ups. No, neither of us were married like you were, but in case you’re forgetting Ed and I got close to it. And Susan had been as well as I’m sure you’ll remember.”

He shuddered in anger at the thought of the Calormene Prince. 

“I can still remember when we found out you and Peridan were more than friends. Edmund caught you sneaking away from your seventeenth together.”

A blush came on to my face at this. We had been casually seeing one another but we did not make the courtship official until a fortnight prior to that day. My brother had a field day the next day at breakfast. But I had gotten my own back by teasing him equally as much over his own string of flings. During our whole reign, I’d had three courtships. Peridan was my first, then Orinel was my second, and Corin had been my last. The final one raised a few eyebrows considering he was still a teenager and I had been nearly twenty-eight, but we never let it get in the way of us. 

“You aren’t alone, Pete. No, we don’t know exactly what it is like, but we are the only people who you can confidently confide in without being labelled a maniac. You’re right, she would want you to move on and possibly have a family again. I know kids are way off the radar now, but we of all people know there is no way to know what the future holds.”

He sighed at this.

“It’s weird thinking that the age I am now physically, Arlo was two. Plus, she was seven months pregnant with Haldon. I now feel as though I wouldn’t be ready for children due to our duties here. That is odd considering we were literally ruling a country then and here we’re just young people who have high authority in the faction.”

Now that he said that, I realised how weird it was. I was seventeen now. I was the age when my first official courtship was going on. It feels like it was yesterday when it had been almost sixteen years ago taking both time zones into consideration. That was longer than our reign had been. 

“At least we’ve got a second chance to experience things like this, not many people get an opportunity like that.”


	17. Fifteen

~Edmund~

“I think we should attack Chelsea next."

At hearing those words, every head in the room turned to Rick with an astonished look on their  
face. No one, and I mean no one, would willingly raid somewhere so close to the most armed faction. 

"Think about it strategy wise. If we can get even a piece of ribbon from there or any other of the fuckers who think they're invincible solely down to their position in the city, people will finally realise we mean business. We aren't Hillingdon, nor are we the South. We don't keep to ourselves- "

"They keep to themselves for strategy reasons. Unlike us in the North, they are somewhat at peace."

He glared at me for putting him in his place. Rick was one of those who always looked down on me due to my age. But very few people knew that it was me who had a few years on him.

"Edmund is right, Rick. We cannot risk a raid in Chelsea, Westminster, or god forbid Kensington. Only an idiot would raid there. I think our best bet would be Dagenham. They're further out but we can't go to Islington as we raided there not long ago. If we keep going to the same place we're asking for a war."

By now, Rick's face was as red as a tomato, and it wasn't down to embarrassment. 

"If we sit back along with everyone else they're going to get stronger and stronger. Before long they will likely march upon us- "

"Are you helping plan a raid or plan a suicide mission, Rick?"

He turned to me with even more anger radiating off him than there had been before. It didn't bother me, I've dealt with people who are harder than him to negotiate with. I stood up and leaned over the map we had that depicted every faction. My eyes scanned the red oval that was split by the Thames which showed where Citizens stayed. They rarely stepped out. I grabbed one of the chess pieces we used before beginning.

"If we attack Chelsea, we are surrounded by both Kensington to the North and Westminster to the East. They are both known to not be messed with. The same goes for if we attack Westminster as you can see from here we would be surrounded by Chelsea and from Citizens. And only an idiot would go anywhere near Kensington. I'm not dumb, I know as well as everyone here that one day someone will have to take it on, but not when there are no alliances. What we have with Harrow and Barnet means nothing. It's not official so they are not obligated to aid."

Nobody in this room had openly stated what needed to be done, and saying it aloud seemed to knock it in to everyone's heads. I rarely let my diplomatic experience show, knowing it would raise more than a few eyebrows. But I didn't care if I was channeling my inner King right now.

"What we need to do is raid somewhere we haven't before, or somewhere we have raided less times than we can count on one hand. Benjamin is right. If we keep attacking the same people we are asking for a war. And I'm pretty sure no one wants another war on their hands."

It was only now that Rick looked away from me, my eyes never leaving him once as I spoke. Good. At least he had some common sense. Ian bit his lip from across the table before asking me what I meant.

"We have already raided most places in the North on numerous occasions. There's only one other route we can take, and it isn't pretty. We need to start raiding in the South. I'm thinking Bexley as it's nowhere near Croydon and it's also the closest Southern faction there is to us that does not require us going through Citizen territory numerous times."

At my proposal, they turned to me with stunned looks. Almost like they were only now really seeing me as the King that I am. I won't deny that it felt good to put my political knowledge to use again, but I couldn't let too much out as then I would raise suspicion. Suspicion within the faction would be too much to handle.

"He's right, as much as neither of us want to admit it. The city is already at war with itself, we don't need a war between factions on top of that. Despite Bexley being far away from us, it is also the simplest to get to. But it's going to take a lot of time to plan out."

By now, Rick turned to face him again in shock. I could see his face beginning to get red again.

"I will not take the advice of a teenager! What does he know about war and tactics and politics! He and his brother both for that matter! We need to be courageous here and what he is suggesting is just stupid- "

Now, I saw a warning sign.

"Unlike some people, Rick, meaning yourself that is. I would much rather be smart and cowardly than be stupid and courageous."

I spotted Ian bite the inside of his cheeks to stifle his laughter. Benjamin looked away and was covering his mouth with one hand. Rick opened his mouth and stared at me, but I didn't let my stance falter for even a second. I've dealt with other Kings who have been known to never budge in their beliefs and walked away victorious. A moment passed before he cursed me under his breath and stomped out the room. Once the door slammed, Ian and Benjamin wasted no time in letting their laughter break the silence. It took a few minutes for them to quieten down before looking to me with respect.

"You know, with how knowledgeable you are you would think you're thirty-something stuck in the body of a teenager."

I had to stop myself from snorting aloud at this. If only he knew the truth of my siblings and myself. 

"When we got evacuated I took on an unhealthy obsession with politics and tactics. May as well put it to good use."

It wasn't a complete lie. Out the four of us, I was definitely the one who was the most skilled in these departments. That was how Peter and I worked. I planned the movements, he planned the positions. I stood back slightly to analyse from afar, and he always got right in the thicket of everything. There were only two times we had not fought in battle together. The first time had been six years into our reign, and the second time was when he went to negotiate with the giants that inhabited Ettinsmor. I mentally shivered in fear as stories he had told me from his time there ran through my head. 

"Bexley is definitely a good choice. There's two ways we can get there easily, just one being a little longer. We either go up through Harrow or Barnet and walk around the perimeter of the city, or we go around the circle of Citizens. Either way, we are looking at a week at least if we carry it out correctly. Both times we will need to go through factions and therefore will need to be extremely careful or to go through numerous screenings."

"Screenings are a no go. It wastes times and it will also raise suspicion. Think about it. Like you both said earlier the city is at war with itself and if other factions catch us with our weapons, it's going to look suspicious. Suspicions are not a good thing with something like this."

They both hummed at this before hunching over the map once again. 

"In other words we need to stay above. Which then means we need shelter and plenty of food to last the journey. That is unless someone can shoot down a pigeon or something."

We all snorted at this statement. It wasn't meant to be humorous in any way but it did lift the tension slightly. It was certainly a lot better than nothing.

"We will also need to travel by day as well as it's night when Citizens branch out of their rings. So we will need to find places that are deemed 'safe places' for people to sleep. This combined with a strict watch schedule just to be on the safe side."

As we tossed ideas around we wrote it all down. Within the hour we had a decent plan but it was far from complete. We had enough supplies to last us a good fortnight I would say, providing we aren't raided by someone else in that time frame. They left not long after and once they had, I walked up to the mirror. At first, I saw the face of a young boy just about to finish his transition into that of a man. But this changed soon after. A moment later I saw a beard coat my jawline which got sharper. I saw scars on my face from being sliced by a sword or a knife up close in battle. I saw midnight black hair fall to a little above my shoulders. 

I saw me.

It was weird to think like this. What I am right now is not me. I'm a warrior, and I'm a King. I've gone through intense humiliation and being able to overcome it all. Be learned how to work my way around a persons body language. I know how to approach something correctly to avoid it becoming something bigger. I let a smile coat my face before I left the planning room. The corridors were deserted currently considering it was dinner hour. Food was still strictly portioned due to rationing for years, but that was a good thing. It meant we didn't need to make trips to ports often to collect new produce. We only did it once a month. I eyed some trapdoors we had disguised on the ceiling which led into bomb shelters of people's houses that lay abandoned. Inside them people were smart to move fridges and freezers into them. That way we could store it for long periods of time and not need to worry about it going rotten. 

Upon entering the large hall that had once been the entrance of an underground station, noise invaded everything. People were laughing, gossiping, and just generally having a good time. This was one of the only times where we can ignore everything happening. And everyone took advantage of it. I had eaten a large lunch so I didn't bother getting anything except some water. I eyed the room searching for people and I soon spotted my siblings and a few Narnians nearby. I made my way over and ignored the numerous fingers pointed my way. I could hear them gossiping about me putting Rick in his place and I didn't want to brag about it. Once I had sat down, I caught Peter raising an eyebrow at me. I knew immediately what he was asking as I shrugged uninterested. That done it and a second later he was shaking with laughter.

"Explain."

I rolled my eyes before catching the gaze Caspian and Thero were giving me. I haven't spoken to Thero yet, despite us sharing a room temporarily until we find suitable accommodation for them all. The entire time he had been looking at me like I was a ghost of some kind.

"Idiot proposed we attack Chelsea. I just gave him numerous reasons why that was a stupid suggestion."

This statement done it. They all tightened their lips before bursting out laughing. I can't joke much about my titles, but I couldn't resist there. Caspian and Lucy were the worst. It didn't surprise me a certain brunette was nowhere to be found. Lucy was still furious with her and she has been avoiding Peter again. She knew she was in the wrong but she's stubborn as hell and won't admit it. She was probably sulking whilst practising on her shooting again. Carefully I eyed what everyone else was doing. Glenstorm was in a heated discussion now with Thero. Caspian was looking around in amazement. Mikian was scribbling in a sketchpad he had been given. Toma like myself appeared to be analysing everyone. Polonius (who had been a Minotaur), was busy shovelling food into his mouth. My brother was smiling proudly at me whilst Lucy was doodling on her arm with a pen. We always told her not to do that but she never listened to us. 

I took most people's distraction as my cue to hand over the piece of paper I had written everything down on. They read quietly, not wanting to speak and draw attention to ourselves. Once they had finished, Peter gave me a worried look. He knew I was correct. We would need to swallow our pride and make alliances. There was certainly no use doing so in the North because we all fight one another. He understand the root of my plan for Bexley- a distraction. He spoke to me in Old Narnian again so nobody could listen in on us;

"You're planning on sending out a few spies to find out who the main leader in the South is? Are you nuts?"

I simply took another gulp of water.

"We don't know for certain if Croydon is the leader. We simply know it is the most protected in the South much like Kensington for us in the North. If we can gain knowledge on this, we can use it to our advantage. We might be able to set up an alliance with the entire area and not simply just a faction or two. This might come in handy when we eventually have to go to Kensington. Most of all, it will come in good for putting the Citizens to rest."

He carefully thought over my words, letting it all sink in. He knew I was right, as did Lucy. But she always stayed out of the planning. She liked to get involved the action, but found this part boring. 

"Ed's right. This can't go on forever. One day it will have to end and I don't know about you Pete, but I want this to end within the year if possible. I want things to go back to what they were before, as does everyone. But it's not if we keep fighting each other and driving everyone further away."

Her words carried a heavy weight, but the truth is always heavier than a lie. 

"Whilst they are all away gathering information, and the raid to Bexley goes on, we will have time. Time we can use to train everyone. They need at least three of us to remain as we are head trainers and planners. It’s a lot more chaotic when we are raiding elsewhere which will create the perfect distraction.”

The others seemed to catch on now, and I caught Glenstorms ears perk up. From my knowledge, he was the only other person who spoke Old Narnian fluently. He understood every word we spoke. But he didn’t dare pipe in, he knew it wasn’t his conversation. 

“It’s going to take a good fortnight I would say to set everything up. By then hopefully everyone will have settled on and gotten used to their roles. I’ll run this all by Liam later with our meeting over fitting in training them as well. That way neither of us will look suspicious sneaking away as it will officially be in our daily schedules.”

It was risky, there was no denying it. But right now, it’s the best plan we have. I just hope that in this world Aslan is also on our side.


	18. Sixteen

~Caspian~

I’ve always been someone who picked things up quickly. So, to say I was shocked that despite training for most of the day with Edmund and Peter, and I still could not throw a knife perfectly at one of their target practises, irritated me. I was always someone who assumed throwing a knife would be like swinging a sword, just with less force considering they were an awful lot shorter. But I was wrong, so wrong. The first hour had led to a lot of tight lips from the brothers who clearly saw my frustration and were trying to hide their amusement. The second hour was Edmund instructing me on the correct stance. The third hour was Peter lecturing me that I was using too much force and therefore always let go of the hilt at the wrong time. As a result, completely missing the target.

And this was only the beginning.

They had decided to introduce us slowly in to more advanced weapons to avoid a massive culture shock. I rolled my eyes at the thought because we’ve had dozens of those already. I would’ve preferred to jump in at the deep end because then you’ve no choice but to swim. Either that or die. It’s a rather effective way to learn something quickly in my opinion. By the time I had mastered the way to throw the small objects and had my stance correct, they had to leave to attend their other duties. We’ve been in Finchley for four days now. Day one was filled with spinning the same story too many times to count. Day two was them introducing us to people and giving us a tour. Day three was meeting with someone called Liam who arranged everyone’s schedules. 

Today we were officially thrown in to faction life. We were all taking it in turns. Those who were not assigned roles were playing up our story to those who might’ve not heard it to ensure we would not get more raised eyebrows than necessary. Then us who had been assigned roles, were each taking it in turns to attend these duties and to be trained up just in case we needed to fight. I know the siblings would rather we not do so, but they know they cannot assume things. I had two hours free after this before it was considered nightfall, even though there was no such thing underground. 

I’m not certain how far below the ground we were, but it was at least ten metres. Most of these tunnels I had learned had been here for a long time and were used for travelling to different areas of the city quickly. Now they were inhabited by everyone. I shook my head a little bit before eyeing the targets once again. It was impressive the way they set everything up. Three different sizes for three different areas of the body. I’d mastered the most obvious one which was aimed for the chest of someone, but the chest was not a guaranteed kill like the neck or head were. 

I let my fingers wrap tightly around the handle again and bit my tongue before beginning to take aim. I moved a few times by taking in the distance between me and the wooden board which had now been hit so many times from numerous people that it was barely an inch thick. But it done the job, so I couldn’t complain. After a few seconds, I swung my arm out and watched the metal fly and thud just outside the target. At this, I groaned in annoyance. 

“Use a little less arm motions when throwing and use your wrist more.”

I jumped a little at hearing Lucy speak. I must’ve lost track of the time because the last I heard she had a meeting to attend. Perhaps it had been postponed or cancelled. She walked over to me and I watched as her fingers trailed almost lovingly along one of the blades. She was wearing an expression on her face like she was looking at her children. Within a second though, she had grabbed one and threw it. It didn’t surprise me that it landed in the centre of the smallest target- the one that indicated the neck. 

“My brothers are good for throwing at a closer range, but for a further range you do not want to use more strength in the arm. It wastes energy and is also a lot more time consuming. Watch.”

I didn’t argue and watched her movements. First, she threw it like how I have been for a while. Then she threw like she would. It was such a subtle change, but the tiny difference made it easier for her to move. Hesitantly, I grabbed one of the blades and began preparing to throw in a similar fashion, but the angle felt awkward for me. I felt like I was trying to write with my opposite hand. Like I suspected, when I let go of the blade I missed the target. However, I was a little closer than I had been previously, so I will take that as an improvement. Lucy snorted in amusement at my failure before patting my back heavily.

“Knife play is not something that can be picked up overnight. It took me months to master it and it took my siblings even longer. Nothing is amazing first time. After all, Rome wasn’t built in a day.”

With that, she walked off. Leaving me completely confused in her wake. What did that mean? That was when a memory resurfaced from years prior.

Even now, it was weird to look down from the top floor of the How and seeing numerous creatures that up until very recently, I had believed to solely be myth. I still felt like I was in dreamland. But it was far from that, this was real life. These people have been oppressed for centuries at my people’s gain and they still do not trust me. I may have convinced them I wanted to help, but I was going to need to do a lot more than simply that. I would need to prove to them that I am a worthy leader and I will not treat them like my ancestors have.

I had an army of six thousand in total. It was not a large number at all and I knew that the Telmarine army had thirteen thousand the last I had heard. However, in war more recruits are being added every other day, so this number would be a lot higher. The simplest way to approach these things would be to overestimate. That way one can never be caught off guard. On average, they bet us at a three to one ratio when taking this in to consideration. The odds were not massively against us, but my people were ruthless and callous. All they cared about was glory. But we had a lot more than that. We had legends who had seemingly walked out of storybooks that were presumed for centuries even from the Narnians to be children’s stories.

Some people doubted them massively solely because of their ages. But they had been a year younger than they are currently when they first took their thrones. And they led the country in to a time called the Golden Age. I eyed the large field that was in front of the How at all the stations that had been set up. I spotted what could only be the ancient Kings decked out in their armour and practising their sword fighting. From so far away, I couldn’t see much except two glittering silver and red figures. I decided to go and join in, possibly learn some things as well.

The Telmarine fighting style was incredibly unique, as was their armour. Whenever there were two of my people fighting when they were wearing armour, it could go on for numerous hours. It usually ended when they walked away with a silent draw or one was close to collapsing from exertion. A few people turned to me and gave me a lingering look, making it clear they didn’t wholly trust me yet. And I don’t blame them. I’m technically their enemy. Despite this, I also caught a lot of admired looks towards me, those who I had convinced offering me the support I desperately need in a time like this.

Peter’s words from earlier were still swirling in my head. Him audibly saying to his brother that he wanted to help me win my throne, but he honestly didn’t know how to approach it. Things have changed massively in the last thirteen-hundred years, and they were still learning. It must be difficult to go from an almost perfectly peaceful time to being thrust in to a war ridden country that at one point had been under their rule. By now, I was outside, and I found myself walking towards the ring where the brothers were sparring. From high up, I couldn’t see just how ferocious their attacks were. 

But now that I was up close, I was in awe.

It was like they had wiped clean from their minds that they were siblings and were instead enemies facing each other on the battlefield. Their moves were fluid, and vicious. Each strike would be fatal if the other did not counterattack on time, even if it was a second too late. The speed they were using was impressive, neither hesitating one bit. Gosh, they were fifteen and seventeen. It was clear in this moment this was not two teenagers fighting who were experienced. There is no way teenagers could be so skilled. I’d been training with real swords since I was ten, and I was nowhere near in that same bracket.

Before they noticed me, I decided to walk around and take in everything else. A part of me wanted to find out where the sisters are and find out what they were doing. I didn’t need to look for long as I soon spotted deep brunette hair and a forest green dress. It didn’t surprise me she had her famous bow in her hands, what did surprise me was that she seemed to be training and not simply practising. It was foreign to me for a female to be fighting. There were a few people with her but they all left upon seeing me. 

“If you stare too long you may as well make a painting of me.”

I laughed a little at this before standing beside her. She didn’t look at me, but I caught the tiny smirk on her rose-coloured lips. She brought the feathers of the arrows up to her cheek but being careful to not actually rest it against her skin and let go. By now, it didn’t surprise me anymore that it landed a perfect centre within the bullseye. I eyed a crossbow that had been left on the ground and picked it up. She quirked up an eyebrow at this before turning my way with an interested look. I didn’t hit the bullseye, but I was maybe a centimetre out. 

“Nice shot.”

I couldn’t tell for certain whether she was praising me or mocking me. However, I had a feeling it was the former. Her name has gone down in history for her kindness. I went to take aim again when she reached up and adjusted it ever so slightly. I gave her an odd look at this, but she simply smiled my way. I decided not to question it and pulled the trigger. Much to my surprise, I landed a perfect centre much like she had, the feathers on both arrows quivering where they met. 

“I was taught from fauns and centaurs. Both of which are known for their proficiency in the art.”

I was surprised to hear the challenging and almost mocking tone in her voice. So, this is the game she wants to play then? I tucked the crossbow under my arm and quirked an eyebrow up, telling her I had caught on to her hint. 

“That pine cone on that branch.”

She pointed ahead about fifteen metres. I had to squint to see what she was pointing at. Only one thing stuck out to me. The target from here was tiny. Surely there is no way that can be pierced with an arrow from such a distance? However, I was not going to give her the satisfaction of admitting defeat. I made a quip about her being certain it was a pine cone and not an acorn. This resulted in her firing back with audible mockery at my attempt to wriggle free from it. This done it. I lifted the crossbow and took aim. Much to my surprise, I missed it by a few centimetres. I stood surprised as I had not expected to get that close. I turned to the elder Queen with an almost smug expression, but her face was set in stone. She took aim and my jaw fell open as the pine cone fell to the ground- with her arrow embedded in it.

“You’re forgetting one thing here Prince Caspian. I’m thirty-two. I have fourteen years’ worth of extra experience. There is a common phrase in my world and that is practise makes perfect. If you keep at something consistently for a long time, it eventually gets to a point where you cannot improve any further. Only fall. Rome wasn’t built in a day.”

I had almost completely blanked said memory from my mind, but now it was like I were watching it from the side lines. It was so clear, every word soaking in to my brain. That phrase clearly wasn’t literal. But it clearly had some form of importance. I was tempted to ask Edmund, but from the minute I had seen his schedule for the day, I knew he had a meeting with other spies. The fact that he was one of the spies for the faction amused me greatly. If there is anyone who can find out a plot, it is Edmund. He’s known for it. 

I had no idea where Peter was, and Lucy had slipped away again. I had yet to find myself comfortable with other people here and I didn’t want to ask them such a trivial question. As it seemed to have importance to it, it would not look good for me to ask what it meant. However, I wasn’t sure I wanted to face her. From the miniscule amount of time I have spent with her these past few days, it was clear Edmund was correct. She wasn’t the Gentle Queen anymore. She’s buried herself so deep that she now seems like a stranger.

The first time they left, it was Peter who had been hit the hardest. This time, it was Susan it had hit the hardest. The youngest two just seemed to have accepted their fate whereas the older two were bitter about it. After Glenstorm’s confirmation that Aylene had survived though as had the kids, a heavy weight visibly lifted from Peter’s shoulders. He’d gotten the closure he needed. I’d have loved to have seen him interact with his children. He probably spoiled them rotten and likely got berate by his wife for it if what I’ve heard in passing is true.

But if I wanted answers, I had to speak to her. It would be far too suspicious otherwise. With that, I found myself walking towards her room. I had yet to memorise my way around the maze of tunnels that was Finchley, but I did know how to get to some places. I doubted everyone in the faction did know their way around everywhere. There’s way too much to commit to memory. It’s like an underground castle. I had lived in the Telmarine castle my entire life practically and I didn’t know my way around the entire thing. Then when I moved in to the Cair permanently, I had to start all over again. I don’t know how long I’m going to be here, so I don’t even see a need in doing so. I blinked a few times before deciding to just get on with it.

The walk to her room was deserted. Due to the time of day, most people had duties to attend. So, the living areas were abandoned. However, I knew all the sibling’s schedules, they had been sure to tell us their daily attendances. Since they had to train us outside of their normal schedules, we had to know when to prepare. I wish there was a way to read up on weapons used here, but mastering the art of any weapons can really only be taught in person. When I got to my destination, I timidly knocked on her door, not knowing if she was in or had gone walkabout again. Peter had bitterly stated during an argument that everyone in the corridor could hear the night prior that she needed to stop doing that as he was scared he would not see her again. 

I’d never really heard any of them argue. In fact, the only times I had heard them argue was more sibling banter than anything else. But it was clear that tensions were rising as every day passed and nothing was closer to ending. It’s something war does to people. This didn’t make it any harder to see. Four legendary sovereigns constantly at one another’s throats who were once known to rip out people’s throats for harming another. I shivered lightly in the spot as I remembered Lucy telling me of when she got her neck scar. Peter had grabbed the person by the hair, yanked him back, and promptly cut his throat out in a semi-circular motion. It was a grotesque image even for me, and I’ve seen a lot of gruesome things in my life time. 

I was about to walk away, thinking she wasn’t in when the door opened. She was wearing head-to-toe leather with knee-high boots. It seemed to be the only thing she wore now, always kitted out for battle. The sad thing is, there is a chance she dresses like this as there could be an attack in the next five minutes for all we know. She didn’t look me in the eye, but she did quirk an eyebrow up lightly.

“Caspian, please come in.”

I did as she requested. Despite her not having authority here like she did in Narnia, but an order was still an order. I was a King, and she was a Queen. Nothing was going to change that. Like most of the other living quarters, there wasn’t much inside. A couple of mattresses, a large box filled with perfectly folded clothes, a long line of shoes against the wall. I waited until she had closed the door tightly behind her before speaking;

“I was hoping you could explain an expression for me, my Queen.”

It wasn’t there for long, but a tiny smile danced on her lips at the title. 

“I would be glad to do so, my King.”

A smile broke on to my face at that, her still having that same sense of humour. Most people possessed dry humour. But not her, hers was purely sarcastic. One she shared with her younger brother. I’d like to see them get in to an argument one day, it would be very amusing. She gestured to one of the two mattresses that were placed on the ground and I carefully sat down. It was weird being down so low, but I know people can be a lot worse off. 

“Your sister mentioned something about Rome? What exactly was that?”

Her eyes widened, and I saw a slightly panicked look coat her eyes. It was clear she caught the unsaid comment. But she refused to show it in body language. A habit she’s mastered over so many years.

“It’s a long story.”

“I have time.”

A small smile broke on to her face again at this, but it was gone only a moment later. 

“Rome is the capital city of a country called Italy. It’s further Eastern to where we are but still in the same continent. However, the Rome we were referring to in the expression is not the city. We’re referring to an ancient dynasty in this world, one that was nigh unbeatable. One that those who lived in this time were either conquered or were going to be conquered. And then the unthinkable happened, Rome was destroyed.”

The next hour was her ranting about her knowledge regarding the issue. At about fifteen minutes, I lost interest and instead began to analyse her features, but I didn’t cut her off once. It was only when a gentle knock sounded from the other side when she seemed to snap out of it, a light blush coating her cheeks in realisation. She apologised before leaving the room. When she was gone, I felt a tiny smile form on my face. In the short time, her genuine personality shone through. I decided to take that as a small victory before heading for the training rooms once again.


	19. Seventeen

~Caspian~

It had been a simple act of recklessness on my side. After my talk with Susan and realising that deep inside she isn’t all cold anymore, I had asked her a single question. Just one. Which led to right now. Nerves were eating me up in remembrance from the last time I was above. It hadn’t been long at all, but it sure felt like it. We might not be doing much here, but everything was still extremely fast paced. Everything planned to perfection, so everyone was always doing something. I knew that was partially down to keeping everyone busy to keep their minds off everything, but it was also so they were always prepared for what may happen.

I made my way back to the room that I was still sharing with Edmund. He was away with another training group currently and he had a meeting with Peter later. But after this, the brothers had requested Glenstorm and me, for a private meeting after this. Which meant that I had a few hours to myself. Which had led to the rash decision.

When I asked her first, her eyes had widened massively. Looking at me like I was insane. Maybe I was. But she proceeded to ask me a few questions and I answered them all as best I could. Not letting my mind work, solely allowing my conscious to speak freely. I’ve always been a curious person, and she knew this. 

“Meet me outside my room in around twenty minutes. And whatever you do, do not tell anyone. My brothers will have both our heads if they find out.”

Hence why I was now stood outside her door. She knew I was here as she called back to let me know she was just getting ready. I was a little nervous over my request, but I couldn’t back down now. If I had caused her the trouble already in sneaking us out, I wasn’t going to cause more trouble by having her efforts go to waste. What was life in this world like before it ended like this? At least I’ll get somewhat of an answer soon. 

“Are you sure you want to see the house that we grew up in? There are a lot of things that are extremely advanced technologically. It may be a bit much for you.”

I shrugged a little and began following her down a tunnel I hadn’t been down yet. Since we arrived, I had become well acquainted with the faction, easily able to find my way to places without asking for question. There were four entrances to the faction, and if my recollection of the map that was in Edmund’s room was correct, one was down here. 

“Curiosity kills the cat.”

She snorted loud at this before reaching up out of nowhere. I gave her a weird look, but I was left stunned as a ladder fell. How did they manage to hide everything so well? How did they dig so well to create the faction? It must’ve taken months, maybe even years. Perhaps I should ask Mikian about this. There was no questioning that he knew how they did it considering he was helping them design new tunnels. I only saw him when we were eating, no other time. At least he was enjoying putting his craft to good use. 

“Keep your back pressed against buildings, and make sure your weapons are easily accessible. Yes, we’re outside the circle, but they do come out further on occasion. Plus, we may meet raiders.”

I nodded obediently at this and done exactly as she said. We ran across a couple of streets and went down a very long block. Eventually, she slinked in to an overgrown garden which had a path carved in to it. It wasn’t a large house at all. In fact, if I was going off sizes, it appeared to be the size of my suite in the Cair. How did six people live in this comfortably? Once the door was closed behind us, I watched as she removed her shoes. I didn’t question her on this and done the same. I looked around the hallway, taking in where she had lived for so many years.

There were pictures on the walls that were ornately framed. A mirror, a clock, along with a few ornaments. It looked ordinary. To think that monarchs had lived here baffled me. Once again, I had to remind myself they were not monarchs here, only young adults. My gaze landed on one picture of all four of them when they were younger with two older people behind them. A woman with dark hair and dark eyes, and a man with blonde hair and blue eyes.

“Our parents. The boys both favour a parent look wise whereas Lucy and I got a bit of a mix. Helen and John.”

Now that I had the confirmation, it was obvious. She was correct in her statement. It was clear Edmund looked a lot like their mother, but he also had his father’s facial structure. Whereas Peter looked like a miniature version of his father but had his mother’s smile. It was difficult to tell who the girls looked more like, both seeming to be a mix equally. She gave me a tour around which didn’t take very long. It was once we were upstairs that I realised what the living situation was. The girls shared, and the boys shared. There must’ve been a lot of fighting that went down here. 

“It’s really not much, but it’s where we grew up I suppose. Even though we technically grew up in Narnia. You’re welcome to any of those by the way.”

She pointed to the side and I looked to see what at. My eyes widened at taking in the book case that had books piled on top of it as they didn’t all fit. I read a few of the spines, already knowing I was taking at least two back with me. It will give me something to do in my schedule breaks. 

~Edmund, a few hours later~

“What will happen if we don’t succeed on the raid? Is it really worth it to go so far away?”

I nodded lightly, letting Benjamin know. I repeated why this was needed. We cannot risk another war, it’s way too dangerous. If it came down to it, I’d rather chance a difficult raid than chance more deaths. If this does fail, we will only lose six people. But if we don’t, we are risking dozens of deaths.

“We have 973 people left in the faction, Ben. Before this started we had over 3,000. If we carry on, it’ll be a miracle if we don’t end up like Hillingdon. Annihilated, mutilated, held captive. They’re thoughts I dread thinking about, but that is what will eventually happen.”

Beside me, Peter nodded as well. We couldn’t use our own experience often, but we are terrified it will happen. We’ve both been held captive, tortured, and been on deaths door too many times to count. Instinctively, my hand rested over a spot under my ribs, where my eldest scar lay. I also glanced to my left hand. Not many people knew about it as it wasn’t something that was looked for. But I was missing two fingertips. It came from an attempted assassination where I grabbed the knife that was being used and shoved it away from me. We made sure to never remove our clothes around people, so they didn’t see out battered bodies and ask questions.

“Either way, we are fucked. There’s no other way to put it. But I’d much rather try than sit back and let everyone be massacred.”

I caught the underlying message in my brother’s words. With that, I squeezed his leg reassuringly, knowing he was thinking about the raid. That had backfired massively on him, but he made up for it.

“Every person who has succeeded has had numerous failures as well, just not as much. We need to do this, Ben. Peter is staying to help oversee everything, but I’m not. I’m going too.”

Beside me, Peter closed his eyes, not wanting to hear this. It seemed to be when we were separated that bad things happened most, but it would be far too suspicious if both of us went. Since it was my plan in the first place, it had to be me.

“You speak like you know from personal experience.”

At that, we both snorted. If only he knew. Our reactions came across as one of disbelief rather than one of amusement, so he didn’t think to question us further. I eyed the large map on the table, trying to think of the best route to enter Bexley from. The most sensible would be to go via Harrow or Barnet, but that would add a lot more time on to the mission. It needs to be as short as possible in case there is another raid. If there is, everyone will need to be prepared.

“Now we just need to decide whether the longer but safer way is to be preferred. Can we lose a head trainer and a head planner for the extra time? Is it worth the risk?”

I now knew that Peter was no longer listening, he was simply just glossed over in his thoughts. But he made it look as though he was to avoid insult to Ben. 

“We have ten trainers total, and only seven planners including us. Whilst we are away, it is going to go down. Which then means a greater workload for the others. So, there will be less time to train and plan. That could be catastrophic for if we get raided.”

Silence overcame us at this, neither of us knowing what to say about this. Either way the risk is the same, just one the risk will be longer. I had already sent a few letters under a pseudonym to other areas of London in the South, trying to pinpoint who the main orchestrator to the somewhat peace there was. It’s dodgy, there is no denying that. But we can’t live solely with agreements. If an agreement is broken, it’s just seen as backstabbing. But if an alliance is broken, then all hell breaks loose. If we secure an alliance with whoever it is running the southern side, then we are allied with the entirety of the South. Over half of the city against the other factions. 

“It is definitely safer, I will agree with you on that. But we cannot risk our own safety above those of our people. It’s selfishness at its best. We’re essentially ruling ourselves now. All we need is a few crowns.”

He meant it as a joke, but to my brother and I, it was an awful lot more. At times I do wonder how people would react if the truth were to come out. That we were Kings and Queens. That we were really in our thirties and not the age we are currently. That our friends we had gotten in were of another world. Kids may believe it, but adults were another matter. I wouldn’t believe it had I not experienced it myself.

“All we need is some gold and silver then.”

At my brother’s interjection, we all cracked smiles. The next twenty minutes, I finalised the plan with Benjamin. Once he left, Peter looked to me with a thoughtful expression.

“He isn’t wrong. About us ruling ourselves. Who knows where our monarchy went when it all descended in to this. Nobody has seen or heard from them. Either that or a faction is protecting them. But I think we all know the answer.”

I hummed in confirmation. Our monarchy has been known to sit back and not help at all. In fact, to most people they were just people with titles. Not rulers. We were ruled by government mostly. Now there is no government, we technically aren’t ruled by anybody. Why would people who have others do their work for them stay when this work failed? If they stayed, there was going to be another revolution on top of the current one. Or maybe I’m just thinking too much in to it.

“We need to tell them. We are going to need to cut their training down a little or give up our already short sleeping schedule. We get six hours a day, Ed. We may be used to it from years of doing so, but it is not fair on us to force the same on the other trainers.”

I hadn’t thought about that. I ran my hands over my face in frustration and made a grunting noise. Normally we think everything through, but I guess the pressure is finally getting to us. We’re all fed up of this, have been for a very long time. But it’s not something we can just snap our fingers, and everything is back to how it was. Things probably won’t ever go back to what they were. It’s going to take years of rebuilding relationships with other factions. Most people will probably sell their properties and go far away to start anew. It’s something our parents are planning on doing. We try to see them a few times a week considering we are so busy, but they’ve spoken how they want to move to Bristol- the opposite side of the country basically. 

“I’ll go get them all, you’re clearly too lost in thought- “

“You don’t need to get them all, Pete. Just Caspian and Glenstorm will be enough. They’ll be able to get the word out.”

He nodded in understanding. Two people knowing is a lot safer than ten people knowing. Anyone could overhear. But if we entrust it with a fellow King and a General, they will know not to go running their mouths. Once the door had been locked, I rolled my sleeve up to expose my arm. I ran my fingers along the dozens of bumps and lines, a smile coming on to my face in remembrance. Some of my scars had come from stupid things like not ducking quick enough when I was duelling. But the majority did come from war. At times I do stop and think it was all simply imagination, but my scars prove it is not. We cannot lose hope. As soon as we begin to lose hope, then it will be game over.

“Why were we summoned your- “

The centaur immediately closed his mouth as we looked at him, knowing he was going to refer to us by titles. We know he cannot help it, it simply being a force of habit. But nobody can know. I signalled them to sit down at the table we were at and refused to look Caspian in the eye, him understanding it was a serious topic. 

“We’re going to have to cut the training down a little for a few days. A raid is needed desperately as we are running out of certain materials. But it’s going to be a big one, I’ll be going to oversee it. The girls and Pete are staying, and they will stick to the same schedules, but training with me will be off cards until I’m back.”

At that, I saw both of their faces fall. They had come to enjoy the training. Or maybe it was because the entire time we used it to reminisce on our past. 

“It’s not fair on us to add more time in to every other schedule. However, when Edmund gets back it will go back to what it was. We’re just giving you a warning. Maybe use the extra time to socialise a little if you feel confident enough with the alibi we came up with. As awkward as it is to say, you cannot simply socialise with us and yourselves, it looks suspicious. If people begin to suspect anything then it isn’t going to be nice. They’ll think you’re out to get information to hurt them.”

As I looked at my older brother, I could see something in his face. It was a look I knew very well because I had seen it numerous times before now. It was a look of determination mixed with worry but not in a bad way. It was the kind of worry that made a person human, worry over his people. The amount of times I had seen it had been in a strikingly different situation and it seemed like Glenstorm had finally realised how different these worlds were.

“Even if we are not in Narnia, you two are still Kings. You know how to care for people. You know how to fight. You know how to plan. King Edmund, yourself and your Royal siblings saved our country twice from tyrannical rulers. I think it is now our time to help your country.”

I looked back and forth between Glenstorm and Peter. A look I was not acquainted with came across his face and he bit his lip hard as if he were holding in the retort that was desperate to escape. I blinked a couple of times as if that look would just disappear from him because it was unnerving me, but I knew it wasn’t going anywhere. His tongue darted out for a split second to add some moisture to his dry lips as if he were also thinking over what to say without it coming out as offensive.

“I’m afraid I cannot accept your proposition Glenstorm. Swords and bows are not used in this world- haven’t been for hundreds of years. We use weapons that are very advanced and take a long time to master. I could not live with myself knowing that my people will die because they are not trained for this kind of war.”

I heard him huff in annoyance as he stared at Peter, but I could tell he was not going to pick a fight of any sort. As I thought harder into Glenstorm’s idea however, the more I agreed with it. He was right, if it weren’t for my siblings and I, then Narnia would never have been what it became. Thousands upon thousands of people would be killed daily and everyone would be living in fear. I could tell both Glenstorm and Caspian felt like they owed a massive favour. But, we are not yet comfortable with them returning a favour like this.

“Then show us such weapons, how to use them and how to kill with them. I know that you do not like it Ed, but this city needs as many fighters as possible if this war is going to end. We’re not going to take no for an answer. We aren’t royalty here, we have the same titles- people. And people help each other.”


End file.
